Among Found Family

  I stared up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. My heart felt heavy from everything that happened today. With Ma-Oktava’s destruction, and Aourine…

  I let out a sigh.

  Ma-Oktava* claimed her, just as it claimed Fa and Ougine. And so many others.

  “I understand. But where we’re taking you won’t be like Valconalla. You won’t have to merely survive.”

  Agile-Eye said.

  She was wrong. No matter where they take us, Ma and the others will be vulnerable. They needed a provider and I was going to be their provider.

  Fa passed down the job to me. Not to Motaralla or anyone else. Me.

  These Guardians of the Unirex are different.

  Born differently, lived different lives.

  I couldn’t integrate with them. No matter how hard I tried.

  They wouldn’t understand.

  “Sometimes, it is okay to break free of the survival line and fly a bit higher…”

  Hours passed, yet I was still unable to sleep.

  Her words were imprinted in my thoughts, refusing to let me rest.

  I pushed myself to sit up on the soft satta provided by them.

  Fattaralla slept beside me, curled up. Her coiled hair covered her plump cheeks. She slept peacefully, unaware of my inner turmoil. She didn’t need to know; she was young and had a bright future ahead of her.

  I forced myself off the touki* and headed toward the door. Ma, Motralla, Gibralla — they all slept peacefully. Unaware of the dilemma I was forced to choose.

  I had already chosen. And the answer was no.

  I needed to stay with them.

  Quietly, I opened the door and headed out.

  The halls were quiet, filled with the same soft humming that once came from her house…

  Aourine.

  She was gone. Ma-Oktava had taken her. And there was nothing I could do about it.

  Ma-Oktava could have taken Tohthorayn and no one would have cared… I guess to them, Aourine was in the same category.

  Why are good people always hated?

  My steps halted at the viewing window.

  Blue and purple nebulae stretched across the void outside. Massive clouds of gas rolled slowly through space, layered and dense, similar to the storms that covered Ma-Oktava’s sky.

  They shimmered.

  The universe was big, just as Aourine said.

  And it was beautiful.

  Aourine would have loved to be here. I would have loved for her to be standing next to me — watching the view.

  Perhaps we would have shared another kiss.

  I let out a deep breath as I leaned against the window.

  “Rough sleeper?”

  My head snapped to the left, and I spotted Agile-Eye. She was awake…

  I shrank into myself as she approached me. Her face was no longer covered. Her brown hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders.

  “Yeah, me too. I have trouble sleeping.”

  She added, leaning against the glass. She was no longer in her tight suit but in loose fabric that draped over her body, soft and flowing. A thin layer wrapped around her shoulders, open in the front.

  I stood silent, staring at her while her eyes remained fixed on the tiny white dots outside.

  “I know it can be difficult to leave family behind. It is scary. You don’t know when they will… disappear, and you can only look back at the memories you shared.

  It is scary. But there will be someone to comfort you. There is always someone.”

  She seemed to be speaking from the heart as if she had experienced this before.

  “Ma needs me. I promised her I would not part ways from her. I need to be like Fa.”

  “Your father?” she smiled, as if recalling fond memories of her own. “Every parent wants their child to be happy. I bet your mother wants the same thing.”

  I looked away, hands curling up. Ma wanted me to be happy — but only while tied to her.

  “Where we are going, it won’t be ashy…?”

  “No, it is a beautiful place. Filled with greenery, trees, and plants, and an abundance of resources.”

  “And no one would be endangered. Living on stones, waiting for death to come?”

  “No. It would be closer to paradise.”

  “Paradise? What is paradise?”

  She shook her head.

  “Nothing. You will learn about it the more you work with me.”

  “Work with you? I didn’t say I am joining your group.”

  I said, eyebrows narrowing as I turned around to walk away.

  “I am not pressuring you to. Think about it. Sleep on it.”

  “Sleep on it?”

  My steps came to a halt as I turned my head around to look back at her. What is she even saying?

  “You will learn…”

  I shook my head and walked back to the quarter.

  My eyes fluttered open and instead of the dull gray roof of the hut, it was white with glowing gray lines running across the room.

  The ship.

  The Guardians of the Unirex.

  Aourine…

  I sat up, realizing everyone was gone. Fattaralla was no longer in my arms, sleeping restfully as she did last night.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  I got up from the touki and headed towards the door. It slid open for me. I turned my head from right to left along the empty hallway. No one was here.

  Where was everyone?

  I took a step outside; the pain from the wound on my leg was no longer there. I could walk freely without wincing every other step.

  I walked through the hallway, looking around for Ma and the others.

  As I walked past the hallways branching off the main corridor, I heard a faint voice coming from that direction, so I headed in.

  Through the glass wall, I could see inside. It was a huge room, white in color, with hundreds of tables laid across. It was filled with everyone. Ma, Motalla, Tiballa, Osamalla, and the others.

  I looked for the door, which was glass as well, and headed over. The door slid open, and I pushed through the crowd to head towards my family. They sat, enjoying the food provided by the Guardians of the Unirex.

  “Eralla!”

  Batharalla shouted as he ran towards me. He climbed up and clung to my waist. My hands came up to hold him, near and dear to my chest.

  I walked over to the spot Ma cleared out for me, beside herself. Batharalla quickly climbed into Ma’s lap.

  —

  “You were deep in sleep,” Ma said, running a hand through my coiled hair.

  “Ma…”

  I yanked her hand away, turning my face to the right. I spotted the members of Guardians of the Unirex. They were sitting and enjoying their food.

  I stared at them as they laughed and talked.

  A small smile curled up on my lips, imagining what it would be like to be with them. Sitting with them. Laughing with them.

  “Eralla!”

  Some hands grabbed my shoulder, shaking me. My head snapped towards Ma and Batharalla, who were shaking me.

  “Eat.”

  I picked up the utensil and scooped some of the food. It was a white, mushy, slimy thing, reminding me of the tettara* porridge Ma used to make.

  I brought it to my mouth, and it tasted bland. What was this made from?

  My head turned towards the GOU members. Were they also eating it?

  “Why do you keep looking that way, Eralla?”

  I cleared my throat, tilting my head down to the porridge bowl.

  “No reason Ma.”

  From the corner of my eye, I watched them.

  I leaned against the window, giving a clear view of the outside. The ship drifted past more fields of blue and violet gas. The colors shifted slowly as we moved, stretching and folding into each other. But this time, something different cut through them.

  A flicker of yellow.

  It wasn’t scattered like starlight. It moved.

  Like the one I saw earlier leaving Ma-Oktava. The white streak.

  What was that?

  With Aourine gone, I had one less meaning in my life. The void of a life with her hollowed me out. Maybe joining the Guardians of the Unirex would fill it…

  I let out a sigh, pushing myself off the glass and heading back to find Ma.

  The door slid open as I entered. Ma sat with Giseine, speaking quietly.

  “Ma, I have to talk to you.”

  Giseine took the hint and left the room.

  “What is it, Eralla?”

  I walked over to the touki and sat down.

  “Ma… I… I want to do more.”

  “Do more? What do you mean?”

  How do I tell Ma what I want? What my heart yearns for. She refused to let me with Aourine and I was sure she was going to refuse me about this as well.

  Just say it, Eralla.

  “I want to join the Guardians of the Unirex.”

  I blurted out.

  Just as expected, Ma’s eyes widened, and I could feel her heart clench.

  “Eralla! How could you say that?”

  “Ma–”

  “We need you. We need you, Eralla. The family needs you. Fa would be disappointed in you if you were to utter such words in front of me.”

  “Ma. Please. Let me join them.”

  I reached out, but she pulled away as if she was repulsed by my touch. I wanted to ground her yet she was flying away with her anger and bitterness and narrow-mindedness.

  “Ma, please.”

  She turned her head away, refusing to even look at me. I had never felt smaller. More helpless than yesterday when I was surrounded by lava or when I was sure I would be left behind on Ma-Oktava and its doom.

  I raised a hand, gently turning her head towards me.

  “Ma, please. You will be safe where we are heading. No need for runners, no need for day-to-day survival. I would be purposeless.”

  “No matter where we go, no matter how much better the place is, the family will always need a provider. You.”

  “And I will be there. I will be there when you need me.”

  “While you are out there — in space — will you come to me when I call for you?”

  I didn’t know the answer. Will I? Could I?

  I was uncertain yet determined to get my point across.

  “Yes. Yes, I will.”

  “You’re lying to your Ma.”

  “I am not! I promise I will come whenever you need me.”

  She fell silent for a long moment. She thought. And thought some more.

  “Fine. You may join these people.”

  For the first time since Ma-Oktava, I could breathe.

  Ma gave me permission. Ma allowed me to… join the Guardians of the Unirex.

  I threw my arms around her, holding her close.

  ???