Sacramento, California. August 2942.
It's the dawn of my latest offspring's birth. The woman at the front desk, wearing a grey nurse's dress, tells me of his state.
"Malnutrition," she says, "The mother of male 2A68B10H was not an adequate carrier of the fetus." She does not make eye contact with me. Instead, she continues to type, emotionless, talking more of my offspring's health. I do not make any of the offspring's well being, for I've lost many others. It's as disappointing as the rest.
I realize I'm staring into the hospital's nursery; listening to the faint cry of each fragile baby. I am pondering; thinking about new life. New life and the innocence that comes with it. New life and how easily it can be taken away from you. The marvels of new life.
I'm thinking too deep into things, that isn't right. I resume listening to the front desk lady's statistics of my newborn's health.
"...blonde hair and lastly, blue eyes." She says, with the same detached look on her face.
She stops typing; and stares at the screen, eyes filling with fear. After her silence fills the waiting room, I feel my stomach drop. She lets out a wretched scream. I drop to the floor; face down, listening to her run down the hall. The sound of her running fades from a stomp to light footsteps.
All went black.
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Sacramento, California. March, 2944.
Bright lights. A blurred silhouette of someone I do not know. I try to open my eyes fully, but fail.
"Hush now. Don't try so hard, you need the rest." says a soft voice. One that I don't recognise, for the compassion is genuine. She brushes the back of her hand on my cheek. "Hush now. Hush now. There you go." Her voice grows faint.
All went black.
⬤ ⬤ ⬤
It's cold.
I can hear the faint, soft voice of the lady from before; humming. Humming something I do not know. I search for her, but all is black. I feel my legs moving, but there is no ground. Her voice went quiet.
Am I dreaming? Am I dreaming a dream from a thousand years before? I do not move; the silence is filling the atmosphere with despair; it's chilling.
I feel my heart racing. Somehow, I hear a second heartbeat; it's unlike mine, louder, more intense. It was steady and peaceful, as if I was listening to a butterfly flutter it's wings. Then, it grows quiet; deadly quiet.
Silence. Silence for what felt like hours. Then, just as I grew accustomed to this new found silence, the lady from the front desk appears in front of me.
Eyes closed.
Same grey nurses' dress.
Eyes closed.
She sticks her arm out to me.
Eyes closed.
She gives out a faint sigh.
Eyes closed.
I reach out to her, and as my fingertips touched her wrist, getting ready to hold her hand, she wails an ear piercing scream. I cover my ears; it does not help. I drop to my knees; Hearing her howling and shrieking, surrounded by nothing but black. I look up.
She stops screaming.
Eyes closed.
She was holding something.
