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D9 'Strings of Hope'- Ch.2

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CHAPTER 1

He Doesn't Have Shoes

"If you want happiness for a lifetime- help someone else."- Chinese Proverb

18 years ago. . .

Amaya Turin's blue-gray eyes darted back and forth as she stared curiously at the bright lights displaying the store names of the open mall, her mouth shaping into an 'o' as she watched several lights blink. Her mother had brought the reluctant eight year-old to the open plaza to buy her clothes for the school year. Amaya hated it and would've preferred to sit at the nearby fountain with a book but her mother always said, "Las niñas deben vestirse con la sofisticación." (Proper little girls must dress with sophistication)

Her parents had moved from Spain into Morocco while she was still in the womb so she'd never experienced any of her mother's homeland but was taught the language nonetheless. Her father was from Morocco so the family had lived in Tangier for eight years until both her parents had been hired to work in Johannesburg to design residential buildings for low-income families. Amaya had cried for weeks on losing her friends and moving to a place far from the open sea. Her older 10 year-old sister hadn't cared much and was used to moving while her younger 6-year old sister had only cried for a week. Her 3 year-old brother had simply waved his food happily and danced. A month later, Amaya had to get used to living in the dry hot climates of Jo'burg rather than the balmy Mediterranean weather she'd adored and learn another language.

She had been bored as she wandered the first shops with her mother but a simple glance to her right changed her mood completely. Her small feet pitter-pattered across the cemented terrace as her black schoolgirl shoes scampered over to a metal gate sectioning off the plaza into two areas. She didn't care that she wasn't following her mother and pressed her cheeks against the cold metal bars to watch the opposite section. The sight on the other side amazed her beyond belief and her excited eyes remained glued to the surreal scene until she felt a sharp yank on her wrist. Flinching in surprise, she turned to see her mother's stern face and she smiled innocently to point past the gate eagerly, "Mama, who're they?"

Luisa Turin's beige face turned into a distasteful glance and she informed simply, "They're aliens, dear. They're called 'prawns' by the locals and you must never ever approach one. It's against the law and that is why we are separated into two sections so there is no trouble. They live in their zone and we live in ours with our own people so you'll rarely see them deeper in the city. You can read about it at home."

"Oh" she uttered as her young mind absorbed the new information but she wasn't frightened. She'd heard about the alien arrival during her history classes in Morocco and the thought of meeting another being from a different species fascinated her. Amaya could see the odd glances passerby's gave the creatures on the other side who were shopping in the same similar fashion. Why couldn't they shop together and stop whispering to each other under their breath about the aliens? Her eyebrow raised and she asked her mother curiously, "But we're doing the same things, why should they be separated? I think they look cool and they seem lonely over there. People should always make new friends. Mama, let's call one over!"

Her mother's eyes widened to her daughter's outlandish idea and she yanked her peppy child away from the rail to lecture sternly, "Never approach one, Amaya! They're dangerous creatures, the locals live in constant fear of them. Don't ever let me hear that you want to talk with one."

"But what's so scary? They remind me of the crickets in our yard" she giggled childishly and waved at a red-toned Poleepkwa passing by the gate as her mother pulled her hurriedly into the nearest store. She groaned in disillusion as the idea of talking to one flew out the window and frowned. Luisa sat her down on the customer benches inside the store and Amaya massaged her sore wrist, wondering why everyone was so spooked. If the aliens were dangerous, they would've jumped at her the minute she walked up to the fence. She didn't see a problem with them; if she talked to an alien, she'd ask about its day politely just like she did with people.

She pouted sulkily at the floor and swung her short legs over the bench as her mother ordered with a pointing finger, "I'm going to find shoes for you so stay here and don't move. Cameras are here watching you and they'll notify me if you do anything against the rules, Amaya. Don't go anywhere."

"But mama-" she protested but a firm glare from her parent silenced her. It wasn't fair, she wanted to explore and buying clothes were boring. Her thin arms crossed over her chest and she mumbled under her breath, "I never get to do anything."

"You're getting clothes, not all the children in this city have that privilege" her mother softened and kissed her forehead before disappearing between the tall columns of shoes. Amaya stared at the many aisles until they dizzied her vision from their size and she shook her head before her vision blurred. Her shoulders slumped as she stayed seated, hearing the hasty footsteps of shoppers pass by, loud overhead announcements to shoppers, the whirring rumble of the AC, and sighed restlessly.

She decided to glance outside and noticed one of the so-called 'prawns' slip between the bars of the gates due to its short and slim stature. They didn't resemble a humanoid at all except for being bipedal. Her eyes were drawn to the earth-colored alien and noticed it held a lightly deflated yellow ball in its hands. Three pointy fingers. That's all the alien's hand consisted of and she smiled in curiosity. How did he manage using only three fingers? She decided to call it a 'he' since his clothes were boyish in nature. However, the condition of his clothes were worn and tattered. Wasn't he cold dressed like that? His feet didn't make any noise as he walked up curiously to the window of the store next door and she saw people weren't passing by.

He's sneaking in since it's empty, she thought in realization. He's a smart one.

She swung her legs exasperatedly from her seat, torn between the curiosity biting at her to go snoop on the alien up close and listening to her mother like a good little girl should. Taking a quick peep over the shoe aisles, her mother wasn't visible and she smiled sneakily. If she could slip away and return safely then she could keep it secret. She stood up nervously as she dared herself to leave and ran out from the store to peek over the corner to the next where the small alien. . .no, he was much taller than her but very skinny, especially around his torso. Maybe his people were shaped that way? She'd never seen pictures of the aliens and questions bubbled in her mind. His yellow eyes were bright as he glanced at the items inside and she leaned outwards to see he was staring at various chemistry sets and telescopes.

His clothes are very torn, she thought with pity as she saw the various rips and holes in his shirt showing his skin and furrowed her brows in confusion. But aliens are supposed to be fancy and brilliant or so I've read. His kind are supposed to own that huge ship hanging over the city and that takes smarts!

Amaya was about to speak when a burly dark-skinned man popped out from within the store and yelled at the child with a raised fist, "Damn prawn, can't you read? Humans only! Go back to your side!"

She watched the boy run off fearfully in a second for being caught, his small ball falling from his three-fingered hands onto the floor to roll away. He didn't even bother to pick it up as he fled hastily from the human's section. People around them recoiled with displeasure on their faces and paused in their steps until the alien had slipped back to his side safely and she couldn't help but be upset by the owner's actions. How could he do that to him? He was curious by nature, just like her and any other kid.

"He was just looking, you know" she said sharply as she raised her nose distastefully from her corner and the man glared at her.

"Prawns have their side and they stay there" he sneered at the girl and walked back inside, muttering about calling security.

Poopy head, she thought angrily and turned away from the store.

Quietly, she spotted the alien boy huddling behind one of the planted palm trees on his side and grabbed the saggy ball from the floor. She studied the dusty patches and worn yellow material, noticing small lines of glue keeping a few gashes together to keep it inflated. Didn't he have a better toy? She could only wonder where he lived and walked over to the metal railing to try and catch his attention. The poor alien had run away so fast, he didn't have time to catch his toy and she wanted to return the item to him. No one should lose their toys. She watched taller prawns with different colors walk by as they pointed at her but she remained focused on the young boy only. He wasn't moving and stayed in place behind the tree so she hissed, "Psst!"

The alien's sharp hearing picked it up and he glanced cautiously at her with his golden gaze. She saw his small tendrils move nervously over his mouth and her curiosity over the odd boy grew. He was caught between worry and embarrassment but she smiled gently to ease him. She held out his toy and told him softly, "You dropped this."

His golden eyes blinked back in confusion and he uttered a few clicks and grunts. She sighed in disappointment and assumed he couldn't speak her language yet. Still, she held out the ball peacefully and decided to wait for his next move. She had to gain his trust and she'd stay there until she did. The alien and human passerby's stared at the girl awkwardly with hushed opinions but it didn't deter her efforts as she remained there. The boy stared to both sides nervously and didn't move an inch from his spot.

"Come on, I don't bite" Amaya smiled brightly and kneeled down to roll the small ball through the metal bars towards him. The boy's shaky brown hand caught it gently as it stopped by his knee and he picked it up to press it against his barely clothed chest quietly. His hand stroked the ball fondly as he let out a small cheerful trill from his mouth and hugged the toy from having it returned. His eyes raised up to meet hers and she soothed with a friendly voice, "I won't hurt you. Do you have a name?"

The boy tilted his head to the side in puzzlement and let out several clicks and growls. She grinned at his strange dialect and sighed humorously as she wrapped her hands around the bars, "Well, we're not getting anywhere this way."

She pointed to herself and spoke clearly, "Amaya Turin." Pointing to him, she prodded her finger towards his face but he only mimicked the gesture from his perch. She chuckled pleasantly at the innocent action and repeated her name again to ask, "Name?"

The word must've given the desired effect because he showed a white tag pinned onto his tattered shirt and she leaned in, pressing her face between the bars to read slowly, "Christopher Johnson? That's your name? Christopher?"

I expected something a little weird but okay, she thought satisfied.

'Christopher' gave off a light warble and she couldn't help but find the boy interesting. Was he supposed to be the big bad alien she was meant to live in fear of? She felt bad for the way the owner had treated him and gave him a sympathetic smile, "Are you here alone? Do you have a mother? Father? Sister? Brother?"

Despite the language barrier, the thin being pointed to a nearby food court restaurant where his own people bought food with whatever money they had earned from work. Her eyes brightened at witnessing the aliens on the other side and she slid between the bars like he'd done before and crawled over to where he sat. His eyes widened while he tried to back away as she intruded his area but she raised her hands quietly in peace to say, "I want to know what you are. I'm curious about you."

The boy's response was a mere puzzled blink of his eyes and she sighed, wondering if charades would work. Sitting down next to him, he tried to scoot away but she gripped his ankle before he could leave and he gave a small whine. The defeated sound delighted her ears and before she released his foot, she made sure to see if his skin was either soft or tough. It reminded her of the roaches she poked in the yard before her mother ran over to stomp it.

Amaya pointed to herself, to the store behind her, and her shoes to mimic walking. He stared at her shoes curiously, touching them timidly with one of his sharp fingers, and she noticed he wore none except for a few dirty strips of red cloth tied over his feet to protect his sensitive joints.

They remind me of dinosaur feet, she thought as she saw his small black claws.

"Where do you live?" she whispered in concern and wondered why he was dressed so poorly. Did he live in the slums? It almost made her cry to see another child, younger or older, in such conditions and took off her black cotton jacket. It was an average unisex sweater for kids and her parents could afford to buy her another but she doubted his could.

His natural reaction was to run away when she leaned closer and felt the warm fabric wrap around his shoulders. In Christopher's mind, he expected a mob to beat him like so many had done to others for simply interacting with a human. However, he couldn't get this small child to leave and wondered if she knew the rules for associating with his kind. Did she not live in Johannesburg where everyone knew never to talk to his kind? His fingers touched the soft fabric and could only question her motives but she simply smiled at him with delight. He understood little words of her speech since his mother hadn't finished his training and most of her time was spent working to feed him. His two younger siblings hadn't survived the recent winters and had succumbed to illness and starvation due to their young and fragile ages. Now, only he and his mother were left and they were struggling to survive as humans began detest their permanent presence on earth.

So what does she want?, he thought peculiarly as he stared at her.

His mother brought him to the plaza after finishing her shift in the factory nearby where she packed mined metals into shipments. MNU had decided to skip the sorting machinery and used their manual labor for cheaper pay and to save their company thousands. He despised the humans that claimed to care for their well-being while only leaving them in squalor and treating them like animals. They used his kind to benefit their own means and spit them out like scum on the streets. It was their fault they couldn't get help to return home and had to scavenge like mangy animals.

Christopher had patiently waited for his mother to return but his eyes had caught the glint of the human instruments used for science experiments and they had reminded him of his toys back home. Oh, how he missed his home planet. The clear azure water. Lush forests and mountainous regions. Ethereal night from the seven vibrant moons. His mother had been an engineer developing an energy-saving fuel that lasted years and he had always been interested in her work since his first steps as he'd clung to her skirt to see her work. She had then placed him on the floor with a smile and he bawled loudly. His father. . .he could vaguely remember him, he'd decided to stay and see if he could end the rampaging disease decimating their population numbers. He often wondered what became of his parent. He wished their ship had never stalled in the human galaxy and had hoped they could reach the other inhabitable systems for aid as originated but their fuel had run out.

Nothing but memories.

The human girl brought him out from his thoughts as she kept talking and he was about to hand back the clothing item but she shook her head. He understood that body signal as a negative and stopped fumbling with the cloth. Did she mean to give that to him? Impossible, no human would willingly give up anything for his kind. They were seen as nuisances, trash, and an unintelligent race of scavengers!

The only reason we scavenge is because we've been forced to in order to survive, he thought darkly and held his toy closer. He'd found it a week ago in the junk heaps and had shown his mother happily as she rested during her only day off work. He was still young to legally apply for work but he needed to lighten the workload off his mother so he always helped around their home whether it was cleaning, fixing meals, patching up their shack, or serving his beloved mother a glass of water.

"Christopher" the human called his attention and he despised his given Earth name. Her kind had stripped away the last piece of their culture by trying to assimilate them into their comfort zone. Now, he had to learn their names and language by force and know an unidentifiable designation that wasn't the name his father had given him at birth. His mother continually told him he needed to adapt and learn the entire human culture to survive flawlessly but he didn't want to lose his own in the process.

"Kraaivyanwe" he spoke in his own dialect to hear his own natural name. Officials would berate him if he dared to say it in public but the child wouldn't understand. The human simply blinked back with a perplexed expression and he sighed despondently, "You'll never understand."

"Amaya!"

The human girl stiffened instantly and she stood up within seconds to run to the railing. He peeked warily over the thick trunk of the palm tree and spotted a human woman with frantic worry etched onto her face. Obviously, the girl must've belonged to her as she searched around the plaza. He watched the child wave her hand at her mother and yell unidentifiable words while he stared at her.

Amaya summoned her mother to tell her she was fine and called out giddily, "Mama, I made a friend! He's really shy and has the cutest little clicks. Can I buy him a meal?"

"Get over here! Their side is forbidden, Amaya!" her mother yelled fearfully and ran over to pull her through the bars before security caught them. The girl closed her eyes with a painful groan as Luisa pulled her small form between the bars but fretful movements weren't helping.

"But mama, he needs help!" she argued defiantly and cried out when her mother finally squeezed her through the bars over to the human side. Her caramel skin stung as she was pulled safely into her mother's arms and she pointed to the alien boy to state weakly, "He doesn't have shoes."

Luisa resisted from spanking her impertinent child and noticed her coat was missing. What had her daughter gotten into? She gave her a parenting glare and demanded, "Amaya, where's you sweater?"

"I gave it to him, he needs good clothes" she replied proudly with a toothy grin and without a hint of regret, looking back to see the boy trying to hide behind the tree again. She couldn't understand what was so wrong about talking to a different being and had expected people to mingle. It wasn't everyday someone met an alien and she always liked making unique friends. She liked Christopher, he was calm and let her blab on even if he didn't understand a single word she said.

She noticed he was trying to leave but a man suited in black MNU attire grabbed him by the scruff of his thick neck to pick him up and she heard him yowl in alarm. Worriedly, she tried to slip through the bars and yelled angrily, "What're you doing with him?! You're hurting him!"

Another man popped up beside her mother and stated coldly, "Your child and that creature have broken regulation 3.1.1: Human and non-human interactions must be kept at 50 meters at all times."

"She doesn't know, we're new here" Luisa tried to barter with the firm man and kept her daughter close as Amaya clung to her skirt but shook her small fist to the other official. Her mother grabbed her protesting hand and continued, "She never meant any harm, she's naturally curious like all children."

"Rules are rules, ma'am" he stated grimly and grabbed Amaya by the arm none too gently as she tensed in surprise to his rude actions. She tried to rip her arm from his grasp while her mother refused to let her go and he informed sharply, "Any contact with non-humans must place the individual in instant decontamination. She's coming with us."

"Mama!" she cried out fearfully as the tall strange man led her away and saw the other man on the opposite side throw the alien child on the floor carelessly. Her small frame struggled against the man instantly but his grip only tightened on her wrists as she was pulled away. She didn't want to be taken anywhere with strangers and wriggled to get free, desperate to run to her mother for safety. Tears ran down her cheeks as people stared at the commotion but her mother ran after her, yelling angrily that they were harming the psyche of her daughter.

Amaya was pushed into a windowless white room at the end of the plaza and only saw gloved hands from above reaching for the ribbons in her hair and clothing causing her to scream hysterically. Her attire was ripped off uncaringly and she was shoved into another white room where strong currents of water soaked her vulnerable form as she cried. Her blue-gray eyes closed with a shiver when she thought the torment had ended but let out a shriek when more hands scrubbed her body from head to toe roughly. Her mind practically shut down at the traumatic ordeal and all she remembered from then on was a blur until she was given to her mother in a sterilized white gown and sobbed profusely. Luisa had then claimed she would file a lawsuit for their horrible actions but it would never come to trial.

On Christopher's end, he'd been yelled at by the officers as his young mind translated little strands of their words. His studies of English always got stuck when dealing with verbs and conjugation. He tried to respond politely as best he could but it only earned him a strike to the head. The harsh treatment ended when his mother returned with their meal for the day and demanded to know why they were withholding her child.

"Your child came in contact with a human and that's strictly against regulations" the human spoke tightly while Christopher looked to his mother helplessly and she reached for him protectively. The officer pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the frightened child, his form trembling as the man spit out, "Teach your offspring manners when it comes to humans because next time, a bullet will blast through his skull. The last thing we need is you prawns giving us a deadly virus."

"I apologize for my son's actions and it will not happen again" his mother, Laura Johnson, replied submissively to the humans at knowing there was nothing she could do. If she argued, her son would be in danger and no one would fight for her say in the end. She'd already lost two younglings, she couldn't bear losing her oldest and last son to those horrible MNU humans. Politely, she spoke calmly despite her dread over her youngster, "I will keep him with me at all times. Could I please have my child back?"

"Is he registered?" the officer asked skeptically and Christopher resisted from growling at the man. If his form appeared childish, it was because of his malnourished state but he was not anywhere near a human child's age and was reaching adolescence. He was born on his home planet before the scourge of disease spread and was proud to know his first breath hadn't been in Earth's cesspool of hate.

"Yes, he is first generation from our home" his mother answered meekly as the man scribbled into his clipboard and ripped off a paper to hand to her. She studied the pink slip that explained regulations and the fines that were given to criminals of their kind for breaking them.

"You can pay the fine at the MNU detention offices" the brusque man told her with a disgusted glance at the Poleepkwa child. "And keep your brat away from our kind."

Amaya's coat had fallen off his shoulders and onto the floor during the arguing and the official kicked it towards him as he left with a scowl on his sweaty face. Christopher was relieved they didn't question him about the coat and jumped up to throw his arms around his mother's legs gratefully. He'd never been so relieved to see her and whimpered against her skirt. He didn't reach her waist yet but was sure the next few molts would take care of that. He shivered in effect to the incident with the gun and she released a small sigh from her throat to ask firmly with worry etched in her voice, "Why did you approach one, Christopher?"

"I-I didn't" he answered weakly and dug his cheek against her skirt, wishing to hide himself away from the onlookers from both sides. Every time he visited the human city, he wound up in trouble accidentally just for being what he was. He hated the humiliation and this was another story to add to his miserable life. Softly, he stammered in explanation, "I looked at one of their stores, I-I was going to come right back. . .but I lost my toy-"

His head quickly raised to search for the toy that he'd lost during the scuffle with the human officer. He grabbed the small coat he'd been given as it lied facedown on the cement and tucked it safely under his arm. Christopher wandered over to see if he could spot his toy and his antennae flattened against his head sullenly when he saw the yellow ball pressed flat against the floor. He assumed the officer had flattened it with his foot as he left and leaned down to nimbly pick up his destroyed item. A sad warble formed in his throat as his downcast golden eyes closed to hold the crushed remains of the ball against his chest tenderly.

I was taking good care of it, he thought sadly and curled his fingers around the dusty rubber material. It lied limp against his chest as the torn remains hung lifelessly off his fingers. It just needed a few seals to be new again.

Christopher ran to his mother for comfort and she picked him up despite most younglings his age were too tall to carry. In the unfriendly open, he didn't care about onlookers say and he'd already been degraded enough for that day. His forehead pressed against her neck and he spoke sorrowfully as his throat tightened, "She gave it back because no one else would've. But she wouldn't leave and everything happened so fast. . .Mother, can we go home now? Please?"

"Yes, yes, we are" she soothed her distraught child and began to leave, juggling her trembling son in one arm and their meal in the other. They would have to wait for the MNU buses to pick them up from their designated stop since human transportation was forbidden. Her son's fine would take weeks of work to pay off and the little money they had went towards buying food and hygienic products. She wouldn't tell him about the ticket because she knew he would insist on finding a job despite his near juvenile age.

"Mother, I don't want to come back here anymore" her son whispered while his eyes closed to forget what happened and she held him closer to calm him as they left the plaza quietly.

XXXX

"Father?" Oliver's curious voice piped up and his father broke out of his thoughts. The youngling had finished eating his evening meal of beans and pork which he'd been delighted to taste and was almost ashamed that his mouth wouldn't taste it again until possibly tomorrow. He was always happy to fill his stomach with whatever food they found but Amaya's goodies were better than anything in the compound. He'd seen his father prodding at his food uninterested and wondered what had occupied his mind. Wasn't he hungry? He rarely missed a meal unless he was extremely tired from work and trilled softly, "Father, aren't you going to eat?"

"My appetite died down" he replied softly as his son walked over to lean over his leg. His blue eyes peered up at him worriedly and Christopher picked him up to settle him on his lap. The youngling smiled happily at him and his father pushed the plate up to him so he could eat his share. In his household, no food went to waste and Oliver was always ready to chow anything down. With a smile, he told him, "You can have the rest. I know you enjoy Amaya's foods."

I wish she came by more often, the child thought wistfully but had overheard her telling his father she had to leave them during her recent visits. He hoped it wasn't true but his parent had become quieter after each of her visits lately. She can't leave us. She's been here for ages according to father.

"Really?" he asked hopeful with bright eyes and Christopher chuckled assuredly with a nod.

Oliver happily grabbed a piece of the warm square-shaped pork and popped it into his salivating mouth. He chewed it quickly and swallowed it but his father spoke up with a lecturing tone, "Savor the taste so it lasts longer and chew slower to fill your stomach. Hasty actions always result in shortcomings."

He gave him a crestfallen expression for the fatherly input but listened to his parent as he picked up the next piece off the plate. Oliver chewed quietly, letting his mouth taste each grain of salt and fatty dripping, and found himself enjoying it better. It made him wonder if parents really did know everything as his father claimed. He kept chewing the pork and looked to see his parent holding a small wooden frame with a worn picture inside. His blue eyes tried to peek over his father's fingers covering the side but only caught a tiny glimpse of two pairs of feet facing each other- one Poleepkwa, one human- before it was tucked away safely in a drawer nearby.

Oliver remembered seeing various old pictures hidden away in the dusty nightstand or inside the command module for safekeeping. Most depicted his father as a youngling and Christopher had told him Amaya had taken them while they were younger. It made him laugh to see his father at a young age but a firm glare from the older male shut him up before he gave them back with an innocent smile. He had pictures of himself as an infant too that she'd taken and he happily popped them out during her visits so she could regale him with stories of his early years. He particularly enjoyed the stories of his baths which Amaya was adamant on giving him while young despite the lack of good toiletries and his first steps. Lately, though, he noticed his father and Amaya had begun distancing themselves and weren't as happy as before in their conversations. Any questions he asked regarding it were given either an 'it's grown-up stuff' or 'you're too young to understand'.

I hate not knowing stuff, he thought rebelliously and scooped a tablespoon of beans to grab with his small tendrils before they passed into his mouth. I'm smart.

"Can I go play with George and David?" Oliver spoke up and gave his father an eyeful of his energetic baby blues to sway his answer. He added a quick happy twitch of his long antennae to improve his chances as he awaited his father's decision.

Christopher twitched his dark tendrils in uncertainty and lectured him, "That George tends to get in a lot of trouble lately and I don't want a parent coming here to say you threw cans through their windows."

"No, we found a 'refrig-rator' in the junk heaps and we're going to ride it down a hill" his son replied with a happy chirp and clasped his hands over his small chest in anticipation. He really wanted to go outside and ride down the hill to yell his lungs out. His vibrant eyes glittered as he pleaded with his parent, "Please? We'll be back before sundown."

"Before sundown" Christopher stated firmly and his son nodded profusely to his curfew. He was starting to believe his little one was developing manipulation techniques with his expressive features and wondered if he was learning it from his friends or from Amaya. Oliver had become quite a curious child as he grew but he always warned him to never approach any humans around the compound no matter the circumstances (he had a knack for daring adventuring) and to hide himself at the first sign of danger. He stroked his son's head and reminded softly, "And remember-"

"Never talk to strangers and if I see any danger, come straight home" Oliver joined him in unison as he recited his father's rules and laughed afterwards, "Can I go now?"

"Yes, little one" he chuckled and Oliver hopped off his leg excitedly to go join his friends. Christopher knew his son enjoyed helping him in his plans to escape Earth but he also needed children his age to interact with. The youngling was frightfully smart for one so young (he blamed it on genetics) but he didn't want to diminish his childhood by having it filled with work and no fun. His own childhood had been awful as he scrimped to help share the burden of his overworked mother and he had rarely played with others due to his daily chores and watching his mother work on her plan to replicate their fuel with her other colleagues. He continued her work now but he wanted Oliver to experience a good life and to shield him away from danger in the ghastly environment they lived in.

He saw his child scamper out through the doorway happily and heard two cheerful voices join him from outside. Christopher guessed they had been waiting for the third member of the party and chuckled to himself. He gathered the dirty dinnerware in his hands and left them on the table to wash them later with water from his drinking pitcher. He had to get up every morning before dawn to fetch water in canteens and that was if the water was still running from the main pipeline to fill their well. If you came late, there would be no water for the day meaning no washing, drinking, and bathing your little ones. The rainy season had passed and that was the best season to catch nonstop water in the barrels to support them for a week.

It's a hard life, Christopher thought somberly and glanced at his dirty floor, wiping flecks of it with the heel of his foot. If Amaya is right about the rumor, I must hurry to finish my work or everything will be in vain.

XXXX

Amaya hopped frantically as her bare feet touched the wooden floor of her home and searched for her black slippers. She'd finished taking her shower to wash off all the dirt she'd packed on for the trip and wondered how the adult Poleepkwa handled bathing once a week per MNU regulation. Personally, she'd go insane if she couldn't bathe for a week but humans were smelly due to oil and sweat production. Christopher's people lacked many of those glands and the ones they had were used for pheromones to decipher gender distinction (despite their hermaphroditic attributes), nonverbal communication, interpersonal behaviors, and individual recognition.

Good thing I took them those packs of baby and anti-bacterial wipes last time, she thought in relief and hoped Christopher gave Oliver a good dose of baths. Those babies are multi-purposed and I would hate for little Oliver to develop a skin infection. The last time he had a rash, it took us weeks to heal his patch of skin and Oliver loves to scratch. How can MNU think the Poleepkwa don't need to bathe like regular people? Assholes.

She tightened her bathrobe around her waist and hoped Christopher's people weren't about to be manhandled again by MNU. They had lived in District 9 for so many years- heck, she'd been there when the wall was created to seal them away. Now, those poor beings were going to be pushed further away to accommodate fearful humans. . .or so MNU makes you believe. They create that perception and the overly sensitive and paranoid civilians would always be the first to believe and spread the word like wildfire.

Instead of bitching, they should give them a fair chance before judging, she thought sourly and finally spotted her slippers under her couch. She yanked them out with her toes and placed them on to flop herself down onto the couch. Her eyes glanced at the beige ceiling thoughtfully and ran her hand over her face tiredly, only to gasp that her ring was gone.

"Oh no, no, no, no!" Amaya shouted in shock and began to scan the tiled floor instantly. As a lawyer, her personality was very organized and she had to have a detailed order of where everything was. Quickly, she retraced her steps. She knew her ring had been with her as she walked home from the bus stop. She'd then made herself a small soup, blogged anonymously about MNU, made a few calls to her bridesmaids to thank them for their time, and taken a shower.

"The shower!"

Her small feet headed to the upstairs bathroom of the two-story house she shared with her fiancé. The mortgage was in his name since she co-owned a house with her older sister elsewhere but moved out due to her engagement nine months prior. The neighborhood was a perfect setting for families and most were young couples on the block with or without children. She was lucky to live in the safer parts of Johannesburg but it always made her guilty when she visited Christopher's home. He deserved to have such a home with Oliver and her heart always broke for them.

Her lips kept repeating a silent 'no' as she dug through the hamper, looked into the sink and shower floor, and crawled around in her robe to study the floor carefully but saw squat. She heard the front door close and footsteps bounded up the stairs as she heard a man's voice call out, "Amaya? Où êtes-vous, chéri?"

When will he learn my French sucks and I don't want to learn it, she thought miserably.

"Je suis toilette?" she tried half-heartedly and heard him laugh as he poked his head into the bathroom. His 6'1 stature dwarfed hers as he walked up to her in his navy business suit and she hoped his recent trial was a success. Davin Bedeau was a lawyer working in business law and the two had met as they attended the University of the Witwatersrand in northern Johannesburg. The two had dated during their last year at school and he had asked for her hand during a trip to Addo Elephant National Park after a year of dating. He was a nice guy but her family had kept pressuring for her to nab the ring before he was taken off the market and she'd done it for them.

He loosened his gray tie and wrapped her in a hug as he chuckled at her mispronounced words, "Almost there but you're not a toilet. You learned Spanish, I don't see why French is hard when you lived in Morocco for years. They're very similar languages."

"First of all, I was a child and second, Arabic was the official language" she pointed out in defeat and ruffled his brown hair in return with a laugh. She crossed her arms with a smile and joked, "I can't learn every language, can I? I rarely travel abroad and I don't plan to."

"Is that why you want such a short honeymoon? We could enjoy such sights in Europe" Davin stated with a disappointed sigh but leaned in to sneak a kiss from his future bride. Amaya gave him a light peck on the lips and stuffed her hands into her robe's pockets. Her eyes lit up when her left hand touched a metal object and she slipped on her recovered ring inside the pocket quietly.

"We have a lot of work to do and this house won't pay for itself" she answered simply with a small smile and walked out of the bathroom. She headed down the stairway and he followed as she headed into the kitchen to get him something to drink. It was a hot day today and she doubted the commute through the city had kept him cool in his car. Opening the fridge, she grabbed a pitcher of cold water and served him a glass as she smiled, "How was work?"

His face brightened as he took a sip of the refreshing water and Davin informed her happily, "Great news. I've been transferred to another firm with better pay and hours, not to mention less traveling distance."

"That's great, Davin" Amaya asked giddily, excited for his new position and grinned widely in curiosity, "Where is it? Tell me."

"MNU's law department" he answered with the same peppy attitude and her face fell when he hugged her tightly in celebration. He'd been hired by those awful people? Her body stiffened in shock as the news stunned her and he explained, "There's been tons of cases against companies, people, and those prawns so the company has opened up a lot of spots. Plus, my business and civil experience sealed it for me. Isn't that great?"

"They're not prawns, they're called the Poleepkwa! Don't degrade them!" she snapped angrily to start her argument against the whole idea and tore herself from his hold. He stared at her in surprise and she hissed disgustedly, "How could you agree with them? They're an awful, awful company! They don't care for anything except wrapping their slimy hands on military weapons to use in wars or shove them at governments to get money! They exploit the Poleepkwa and take their things- hell, they stamp their heads to claim them as property!"

"Amaya-"

"I can't believe you did this!" she yelled upset and clenched her fists as her blood boiled at his choice. They were days away from a wedding and he springs that on her?! There were better companies to work for than MNU- sure, they weren't so rich and popular but they were decent compared to that monstrous behemoth. She stomped her foot but the slipper cushioned the noise and she pointed out crossly, "You know how I feel about them, Davin!"

"Only because of your continuous contact with those creatures" he argued back distastefully and gave a light shudder at the thought. He didn't mind them living away from their city but he didn't want her involved with them anymore. When she told him about her friendship with them, he'd practically had a heart attack but allowed it. However, they were starting a life together and he wouldn't have her endangered there. Who knew what pathogens they could carry. He shook his head and told her decisively, "I don't have a problem with the company and I'm taking the job. Amaya, you have to stop seeing the prawns-"

"They're Poleepkwa and they hold more decency than those people in MNU!" she shot back furiously and left him in her dust as she bounded up the stairs. Before he could follow, he heard the door to their bedroom slam loudly and he sighed.

His brown eyes shot to their wide open living room window across the kitchen and he muttered, "Damn it, Amaya, the neighbors probably think we have issues already."

Next door on the right, inside another two-story home, Tania Van Der Merwe set down a mystery novel she'd been reading and shook her head. She knew her neighbor was very pro-alien and those beliefs clashed with her soon-to-be husband's a lot lately. Tania wondered why she was marrying someone that didn't fit her perfectly but Amaya never answered and said they were fine and every couple had their differences. The two women always talked and she was one of the bridesmaids for Amaya's wedding since the two got along well. Plus, Amaya was quiet and didn't hold a large group of friends. Also, her sisters kept picking at her wedding so Tania had to keep the woman's emotions stable before the wedding took place.

"It's probably pre-wedding jitters" she justified as the cool breeze of the evening whisked by her blond hair through the open window. With a smile, she laughed, "I barfed a whole week before ours."

"You were beautiful that day" Wikus smiled fondly as he sat behind her on their couch. The two had been enjoying their quiet evening at home with their pick of the week book when the yelling started next door. He held a cup of coffee to his lips and asked carefully, "You think if I keep my I heart MNU mug in the open, she'll chuck it into the street?"

"No. . .but it may be best to hide anything from work when she stops by" Tania said with an amused smile and he ran his fingers through her long hair as they returned to their reading. In three days, their life would be turned upside down by the company he so loyally works for.

Amaya's origins with Christopher will flow along as the present timeline is intertwined simultaneously. Any blurry random thoughts or flashbacks will be tied into the story as it progresses and will be used for either foreshadowing or symbolism purposes. The MNU mug was just placed in there after seeing Wikus' desk during Tania's interview clip and saw a bunch of MNU logo objects; thought it'd be funny to put it in. And I decided to make Chris' parents a scientist/engineer duo (before you say their species is hermaphroditic, I know, but I'm using that ability as a evolutionary trait for survival so they're free to choose a partner similar to species here on Earth) so Christopher carries on the work on Earth since he is a pretty smart cookie along with little Oliver. He'll be doing more of that once he heads home.

Read on to Chap. 3: [link]
© 2010 - 2024 Mystic-Blade
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