2199 Extinction

Rescue

             A few hours later, the sun is beating down on me, as I follow Malum's footprints. Once there was enough daylight to light my path, I abandoned my lantern. If Amancia happens to come this way, maybe she will see it and know I'm okay. Of course, we didn't have a lantern. Oh well, it is what it is. I look around and find myself standing on the outskirts of an abandoned city. Tall buildings made from various metals seem to erupt haphazardly from the ground. I see windows everywhere, some with the glass broken out, and some with the glass still intact. Smaller doors marking entrances and exits, and larger doors marking cargo entrances; are also visible. But everything, from the metal buildings to the rooftops, to the doors, is in varying shades of red. The color was probably chosen to stand out against the orange grass and blue treetops but it honestly all reminds me of blood.

            Hm. This must be the research facility that Malum was telling mother about. All seems peaceful and calm here, but if there's anything I've learned since coming to this planet, it's that chaos is hiding in plain sight. The road into the city is paved with varying sizes of rocks. So much for tracking his footprints. I decide to just go straight, after all, it was the general direction he was going until this point. I start walking again only to stop in front of a giant building, blocking my path.

            "Now what? Did he go to the left or right?" I ask no one in particular.

            "Alpha smell son. Alpha son, inside." Says a raspy voice.

             I jump and scream, spinning around to face Alpha. "What are you doing here?"

             "Alpha make sure female find son and kill Malum."

               Out here in the sunlight, I find Malum's description of Alpha doesn't do him justice. He is standing on two legs, my head comes well below his shoulders, even a Copaie male would be dwarfed by Alpha. But it's not just his height that makes him scary, he's also massively wide. He's as wide as two male Copaie, standing side by side. You can see his muscles ripple, with every movement, even under all his, black as space, fur. When he talks, the light glints off of his sharp teeth. Four ears, two on each side of his head, probably means that he can hear far better than any creature I've ever seen. On his back is two small wings that look to small for flight and appear to be torn to shreds.

              "Have you been following me this entire time?"

                "No. Alpha make sure pack no eat Malum's female. Alpha make sure pack no eat female like you."

            "If you stayed for all of that, how in the world did you catch up to me?" I ask.

           "What female mean? Alpha walk."

           "I mean how did you catch up. I had to have had a few hours head start on you."

               "Alpha just walk." He says, shrugging his shoulders like any Copaie would. "Alpha walk faster than slow female. Alpha walk on four legs. Female walk on two legs. Female walk too slow. Alpha catch up in long grass. Alpha scare off Loftin and other creatures."

             Well, that explains the silence for most of the walk. "Why would you scare off the Loftin? You don't strike me as a nice guy."

             "Female can't rescue Alpha son and kill Malum if female eaten by Loftin."

            "Well, that makes sense, I guess. Does that mean you are coming with me?"

            "Alpha come. Alpha take son home. Alpha come see Malum dead. Pack rejoice. Female leave and not come back."

            "Sounds like a good plan to me. But if you could leave the cave this whole time, why haven't you come and got your son, yourself?"