Chrono Continuum Chapter 35
Prehistoric Reunions
By Cain
64,999,998 BC
"No," she reiterated. The man didn't seem to know whether he should be angry or dejected, or otherwise, so just settled on looking confused, an expression often seen around Corea. As the man walked out, Corea sighed in exasperation. The other day, everyone but her had abruptly decided that she should take a mate, or at least conceive child. The main problem with their plans was that their temporary chief didn't want to. She had soon found it a waste of time trying to explain to them that she wouldn't be here long, as that made them insist all the more that she leave them a child, to take her place when full grown. Eventually she had declared that she'd hold auditions for her mate, and had mentally resolved to stall as best she could. She shook her head as she thought of what Rakin would say if he knew of her predicament. She stood up at a commotion outside, and walked to the slit in the hut that was the door. She ducked under and stepped out, into the sunlight, looking around for the source. She spied a man walking toward her, and was surprised, on closer inspection, to find him fully clothed. An identical man was walking in another direction, but backwards. Only she noticed the backward-walking one, apparently.
The normal one walked up to her hut, ignoring the surprised cavemen, and stopped before her. He looked Corea up and down, making her blush, and smiled. "Miss Corea Guardia, I presume."
Corea, too surprised to speak, gestured for him to follow him back into her hut. She sighed in relief as she walked back into the slightly-cooler hut, and turned to see him walk in as well. Although he didn't repeat the sigh. He merely smiled. Now Corea got to look at him well. He was handsome, with black hair reaching halfway down his back. He wore what looked like a full tuxedo, but in a shade beyond what she recognized as black. The gold buttons seemed to shine even in the absence of light. His smile didn't waver, and Corea finally broke the questions she'd been containing. "Who are you? How do you know my name? Do you know my brother? How did you get here? Why-" he cut her off there, as he'd heard enough questions, and was going to answer those asked.
"Well," he began, politely, "my name is Thanatos, and I live at the Beginning of Time. I know your name, because I was sent to find you." He raised a hand to halt her as she stepped back defensively. "Don't worry. Friends sent me. Speaking of which, I have met your brother, but he's busy, and couldn't pick you up himself. He's quite safe," he answered her unspoked query, "and has made friends. And as for how I got here, I walked."
She raised an eyebrow at the last response, which went unnoticed by Thanatos as he reached into his pocket and searched. "Aha," he lightly exclaimed, and pulled out two small spheres. He smiled when Corea questioned him with her eyes as to their use. He tossed them to the ground, and they exploded with a muffled bang, smoke floating up into the air. Two forms appeared in the smoke, and soon began to wave their hands back and forth, dispelling the smoke. When it cleared, Corea could clearly see the two forms. One was a man, in his late forties, she guessed, with dusty white utilitarian clothes. The other looked like a man wearing so much armor that no skin could be seen. Strange constructs were on his arms and shoulder.
Thanatos walked to stand before the two, and pointed to the first man. "This," he said, "is Geddicus. Gedd to his friends." Gedd and Corea nodded to eachother. Thanatos then turned to the armored man. "This is Robo. He is a robot, if you haven't already guessed, and is probably the only one that possesses emotions." Robo put his hand out, and Corea shook it, slightly awed. A robot. With emotions. Even Lucca hadn't been able to make emotions, as far as Corea knew. Thanatos continued, "As you also may have surmised, these two are timestream travelers." At Corea's nod, he looked her in the eye. "And we're here to take you to your brother and his friends." He smiled at the delivery of this news, but was a little surprised at hw much happier Corea was.
She jumped forward, wrapping her arms around his upper body tight enough to squeeze the air out of a normal man's lungs. Thanatos' smile didn't change. But she pulled back, slightly disappointed. "But I can't leave. Ayla's missing, and I'm taking her place for now."
Thanatos raised an eyebrow. "Ayla," he asked, "that woman in the cave about three miles west of here?"
Corea's eyes bugged out. "That's where she is? How do you know?" Thanatos merely shrugged and replied, "I know", But Corea didn't notice. She wasn't even in the hut anymore. She was already running off, to the west.
Thanatos turned to his comrades. "Well," he said, "what do you think of her?"
Gedd blinked. "I'll say this, she's easily excited."
"What I think," inserted Robo, "is that we should follow her." His companions agreed, and Thanatos put one hand on each one's shoulder. The fire seemed to slow down, as did the sounds from outside. Thanatos, Gedd, and Robo walked out at a leisurely pace, and all the cavemen outside saw was a blur.
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Same Time
"Ayla? Are you awake?"
Ayla sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes somewhat grumpily. She looked about. There was no new dish of food, and the teevee was gone. Her question was answered in advance by the voice. "Corea has come for you Ayla. I'm letting you go. Remember what you have seen here, Ayla."
Ayla stood, and moved to the door. It opened with a nudge. She stepped out into a cave, and looked around. She recognized this cave, but there had never been any room here. She looked back to the open door behind her. Only it wasn't there. The room and the door leading to it were gone. Ayla shook her head. Maybe she had dreamed it. Well, whether she had dreamed it or not, she was going outside, to get some sun. She walked somewhat quickly towards the exit.
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Same Time
Corea stopped near the mouth of a cave. She didn't know if it was the right cave, but it was the only one she had seen. Thanatos had said it was about three miles west of Ioka. As she began to walk closer, she wondered how he had known that, but since he was from the future, it must have somehow become common knowledge. She paused at the sound of footsteps echoing from deep inside the cave. Someone was coming out. She pulled out the new rods she had carved to replace her thin sticks, and took a few steps back, stopping as she bumped into a tree. After a moment, a person became half-visible as it continued on to the entrance. Corea could soon see that it was a woman. As she drew closer, Corea examined her closely, trying to come to a conclusion as to her origin.
She was pretty, and looked surprisingly neat for her era, especially her blonde curled hair. She wore little, but what she did wear seemed to be made of the hide of a jungle cat. She also looked pale, as if she had been deprived of sunlight for too long. She stepped out into the sun, squinting at its bright light, and looked around. Her mouth opened, and her eyes widened back to normal as she spotted Corea. She took another step forward, and her mouth closed, turning into a smile. "Corea," she stated firmly.
Corea blinked. Did everybody know her name? "Ayla," she asked hopefully.
The woman nodded, and closed the gap between them, smiling all the way. Corea put away her rods, relieved. She grunted lightly, as Ayla pushed her back into the tree, holding her there. Corea could feel the strength in her muscles. Ayla looked her over, and then looked into her face.
"You much like Crono," she affirmed, and Corea decided it was a compliment. She inhaled deeply as Ayla set her down, but the air was pushed back out of her as Ayla grasped her in a crushing bear hug. As she let go, Corea stumbled back and held onto the tree as she regained her breath. "Good to see you," Ayla told her, beaming. Corea nodded in reply. They both turned to a voice to the side.
"Ayla, you have not changed at all," Robo told her as he stepped away from Thanatos and Gedd.
Ayla lifted an eyebrow. "A rawboot?" Corea smiled at her pronunciation of "robot".
"Not just any robot, Ayla," replied Robo, "It's me. Robo."
Ayla gasped in pleasant surprise, and dashed over to Robo, swinging him around as if he was Corea's weight. As she put him down, she held him at arm's length to look him over. "You different, Robo. Much."
"Yes," was his reply, "but I'm glad to see you're not."
Ayla smiled again, but began to frown slightly as she looked over his shoulder at Thanatos, with his trademark smile, and Gedd, looking nervously hopeful that she wouldn't bear hug him.
Robo patted her hand, still on his shoulder. "Don't worry. They're friends. And we've got a lot to tell you." Ayla nodded seriously, and Corea stepped up beside her, adding that she would like to know what was going on.
Everyone looked to Thanatos for the answer. He shrugged. "It's getting dark. I'll tell you tonight, and then we'll go home in the morning" He turned away, walking toward a clearing, apparently intending to set up camp there. Gedd stayed with him. Robo patted Ayla's back, then Corea's back, and set off after the other two. That left Ayla and Corea. They began to walk, side by side.
"You know," Ayla began, getting Corea's attention, "when met Crono, me liked him a lot. Brother Kino (yes, I'm convinced they're brother and sister, nothing more) got jealous, we such good friends." She turned her face to look at Corea. "You so much like Crono, me think we get good friends," she finished, putting her arm around Corea's shoulders and pulling her close.
Corea smiled, not minding it anymore. "Yeah," she agreed, "I think we will."
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To like and dislike the same things, that is indeed true friendship.
-Sallust [Gaius Sallustius Crispus]
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