Time is a Gift

Cupertino, Imperial Residence

Hikaru stood by the front of the house, his Newton was in his hand, the children played in the garden, Hitomi Empress of Infinite Loop stood to the side, her hands in her sleves, “Husband” she said, “What is the problem?”
While extremely intellegent and capable at home she took the role of a good wife.
Hikaru turned to her, “Mai Waifu, I am troubled.”
Hitomi stepped closer. “our comrades, the Race, after the N1H1 ran its course,
they are dying.”
“What?” she exclaimed, “They were immune, they suffured no symptoms,”
“none than we saw, the Lizard scientists have noticed that since the outbreak viable eggs have dropped each season, and even eggs created from ginger orgies have dropped in nubmer, where most clutches were 2 to 3 eggs, all that hatched, now they are lucky if one egg hatches.”
“Oh My” she exclaimed, “that means, they will die off here”
“That is what the shiplords fear, Stratha has said that if hatchings do not recover the current hatchlings may be the last born.”
both stood in silence, they knew that a friend, Nesereff had recently lost a clutch, she was rather distraught but they thought that it was mearly a gailure to fertilize.

“there is good news” says Hikaru
“Good, what kind of news”
“the Nekomimi, their population has risen 5% since the outbreak, it seems that the changes to the Human population has made the matings more likely to produce Neko childs, and”
“and what” she elbows him
“and there have been 5 male Neko born.”
Hitomi covers her mouth as the shock hits her,
“But one male per generation is normal, 5 of them though!”
“Yes, 5, and initial examinations say they will be fertile.”

[hr]
Downtown Cupertino

Nei and Kitsurabami sat by the bar in the Third Reich Decadent Cafe,
“Kitty, are you not concerned,”
“by what” said Kitty, taking a sip of her beverage,
“Alex, he is still not talking.”
“He will, he has been through a lot. He spent the first 9 years of his life in a pod.”
“Well, if you say so, I am gonna close up, then we can go to the house.”
in the corner Alex drew on a pad,

Somewhere near Christie island
[hr]

The small black ship screamed through the night sky,
“Beagle 3 to actual, it’s dark out here, but you can see the cityscape below,”
“How does it look, Beagle 3,”
the plane curved north, “Camera is running, see for your self”

the images poured back to the base.
“It’s true, since we cut ourselves off from the rest of the region, things seem to have changed, return to base.”

the small plane banked and turned toward home.
the pilot dropped to the deck and skimmed the surface.
the water rippled and split, a black sub rising to the surface.
the plane slowed and entered the bay on its back.