Fairies, in a biologyclass?
Terra sits at a long table at the front of the lecture hall, her mouth hanging wide open. She scrolls through the slideshow on her VR glasses, seeing holographic image after holographic image of people with wings. Past her virtual view, standing in front of a blown-up 3D rendition of that same slideshow, is the professor. "Now, don't any of you give me that look. This is important, even if it isn't 'real.'" She says the word 'real' as if she's being sarcastic.
A student raises his hand. "How do fairies have anything to do with science?"
Terra has the same question, but this student beat her to it. All the professor's lectures before this point were always insightful and on-point. They've helped her on her way to becoming a doctor, but today, Terra cannot see any value in this lesson. It's as if the professor is pulling an elaborate joke, or has lost her marbles, both of which are extremely out of character.
"It's fae-folk, or fanice, if you want to be specific. Do not dismiss these creatures just because we see them as mythical. The scientific and the supernatural are more intertwined than you think. For example, did you know that it would be possible to fly if we had a hollower bone structure and large, sturdy wings?" The 3D slide show flips to a drawing of a fairy. It's emitting a blinding light, almost like an angel descending from heaven. "Not only that, but electrokinesis, the natural emission of light, and other seemingly supernatural abilities are possible. There's still so much we don't know about the range of alien species that could exist in our universe, and what they'd be capable of."
The class does not look remotely convinced, but Terra opens her notes app on her glassware. She scrolls through the virtual screen with her eyes and creates a new folder titled "fae-folk." She has no idea why the professor is so serious about this topic, but she might as well take notes. If it's important to her, it's important to Terra.
As the professor continues with the lecture, it feels like she's summarizing some made-up race of people from a fantasy novel. These creatures are capable of telekinesis, enhanced healing, and even accelerating the growth of plants. She almost sighs as she looks at the detailed artwork of a person with wings caring for a tree. Wouldn't it be nice if people had abilities like that in real life? It would certainly solve a lot of the problems they have today. She wonders if that is what this lecture is about—if, in some strange way, the professor is trying to teach them to be conscious of the environment. She waits for the section of the lesson that explains that, but it never comes.
For the rest of the hour, the lecture is all about fairies, their possible abilities, and the biology behind them. There is even a section on "half-fanice" and how human DNA might affect their abilities. This unique breed doesn't usually have wings, but they can still use the magic that others of their kind have access to. That is in there, but not anything about the purpose of this lesson. The moment class is set to end, all the students immediately sling their backpacks over their shoulders and rush out of the hall, grumbling about their wasted time. As usual, Terra stays behind. She waits for the professor to pack her things, stuffing her tablet in her leather bag and removing her VR glassware. Her worn blue eyes show a hint of frustration, and her grey hair looks like it was brushed in a hurry.
Terra takes off her glasses as well, powering them down. She knows the professor prefers to have conversations without any distractions. "What was that all about, Professor Faramund?" she asks.
The woman collapses at her desk and sighs. "Thank you for taking notes. This lesson was mostly for you."
"For me? You used a whole hour of class time to teach me about… fairies. Did you hit your head really hard?"
She stands quickly. "We should pick up your sister from school. Say, after that, would you like to go to the mall? You both could use some new clothes. My treat, of course."
Terra crosses her arms. "Why are you changing the subject? This lesson was for me, right? I'd like to know why it was so important."
The professor throws her leather bag over her shoulder. "Please, just trust me. It's extremely important, but that's all I can say. We need to pick up your sister. Then we'll all be together. I'll buy you both whatever you want, as long as we go to the mall this afternoon."
Terra raises her eyebrows. She thinks of pushing the professor to say more but decides against it. When she gets set on something, she doesn't budge. Besides, how can Terra say no to free stuff? Despite how far she's come, it's still hard to afford new clothes. She'll take any help she can get. "Sure, let's go."
The sky is clouded with smog.
It isn't uncommon on Planet Viatrix, but it is something Terra dislikes. With the plethora of jagged mountains that make up the landscape, most buildings touch the clouds. The mountains are present throughout most of the habitable zone, which forced their ancestors to build the planet's hub city in this treacherous terrain. On the bright side, despite the constant smoke in the air, the city is always a sight to behold. The homes and businesses are an homage to human ingenuity. Some are at the base of the mountains, while others line winding roads leading to the top. Finally, the most important landmarks are built at the very peak of the mountains. It's nearly impossible to reach anywhere without a flying car, but luckily, public transportation is very readily available, like the bus they ride on now.
Her little sister's school is one of those buildings connected to the winding roads. It's on a man-made platform jutting out the side of a particularly tall peak. Like most places, it would be impossible to reach without flying. Terra stares at the large brown building from the bus window. It grows rapidly closer until she hears the bus's thrusters change gears and land on the concrete parking lot with a jolt.
The professor, who was sitting next to her, unfastens her seatbelt and practically sprints down the aisle. Luckily, not many passengers want to get off at Celite Primary School. Terra follows close behind her, wondering why the professor is in such a hurry. It's not as if her sister is going anywhere.
Children aged 5 to 12 file out of the building, some heading for the buses, others to their parent's personal flying cars parked in the lot. Through the windows of the building, Terra can see even more children on their glassware, playing the newest fantasy games with each other. Others still sprint to the playground, calling dibs on the swings and jungle gyms. Among them, a six-year-old girl with umber skin and thick dark curls in pigtails on top of her head, follows her friends to a small playhouse nestled in a tree. "I call being the queen!" she says. "And you're the princess, and you're the prince, and you're the, uhhhh… the knight."
"Hey, no fair! What about the king? I want to be the king," the boy she deemed the knight says.
"Ooohhh. You want to be Eila's husband? Do you have a crush on her?" the other girls tease.
"Yeah," the girl in charge says. "Do you? If you don't, you can't be the king. I will just be a single mom, like Miss Faramund."
The boy turns bright red and reluctantly agrees to play the knight in their little game.
Terra feels guilty interrupting their fun, so she grabs the professor's sleeve. "Hey, let's sit on the bench over there and wait. There's no need to rush to the mall, especially right now." She looks above them, noting the massive number of flying vehicles passing overhead. She can hardly even see the sky, and the air reeks of gasoline. The least they can do is let the kids play in the little bit of nature they have, even if only for a little while.
"No, we have to go now." the professor says urgently. "Eila?" she calls.
The girl with the curly dark hair was about to step on the ladder to the treehouse, but then she turns around. "Miss Faramund? Terra? You're early."
"We're going shopping!" the professor says excitedly. "Say goodbye to your friends now. This is important."
"Please? Just five minutes," Eila begs. "Me and my friends really want to play."
The professor rushes over and grabs Eila's arm. "This is not for debate today. Let's go to the mall and get you some new clothes."
She struggles in the woman's grip. "No! I don't wanna go."
This is when Terra intervenes. She grabs the professor's arm, forcing her to let go. "What has gotten into you? If you're in such a rush, tell us why. You're acting so weird today!"
The professor sighs, letting go of Eila. The little girl pouts at them both.
"I'm sorry. Yes, Eila. Of course, you can have five minutes with your friends, but then we're leaving, okay?"
"Okay! Thank you!" The little girl rushes into the treehouse and joins her friends.
Terra stares at the professor. She reaches into her bag and takes out her VR glassware, checking the time, which reads 1:05, and setting a five-minute timer. Then, she heads over to the nearby bench and sits down, tapping her knee frantically and staring at the sky. In the distance, a forever-setting sun bathes the city in permanent twilight. This planet is tidally locked, so there's no way to tell time aside from their devices, yet the professor gazes at the sky's purples, pinks, and reds as if it's going to change. She really is acting strange. "Well, Terra? Are you just going to stand here, or are you coming over?"
Terra reluctantly takes a seat. Now, she knows something is wrong, but the professor won't tell them why she's in such a rush. First, there was the strange fairy lecture, then the rush to leave the college and get Eila, and finally, the mall. Why the mall, of all places? Terra has a feeling that whatever this is about, it's more than just a need to go shopping.
What is she so afraid to tell them?
…
After some more protests from Eila, they finally leave the school. Air traffic has calmed down, but it's still hard to tell the clouds apart from the smoke. They fly through a neighborhood of houses built into several mountainsides, then through downtown, where the skyscrapers seem to reach the stars. The mall is just past those giant office buildings. It sits on a gargantuan platform at the top of an ancient volcano. This once eruptive mountain stands slightly shorter than the rest of the range, but it's still a bustling spot. It's popular with tourists of Nadura City, who fly in from the mesa countryside to enjoy the temperate climate. At least, as much as they can enjoy it, with all the pollution around.
Terra's favorite part about this mall is its old-fashioned aesthetic. The entrance is an archway constructed of bricks, and the shopping district is shaped like a giant castle. The castle is fortified with more bricks and stone, like a fortress. It's got to be the sturdiest building in the city. Littering its walls are billboards of video ads, encouraging all who pass to buy clothes, jewelry, and even the newest AI robot helpers. They commonly cook and work around the home. It's silly how the ads are out in the open like that when they can just be directly sent to people's glasses. It reminds her of what they learned in history class—how, when virtual reality wasn't invented, people used screens for everything. They had to lug them in their bags and set them up everywhere they went. She can't even imagine the hassle of doing that.
The bus lands in a public transit lane, as all the private parking spaces are already taken. People can be seen everywhere. Some walk in and out of the stores, still shopping even on their glassware, while others snap photos of the giant billboards, posting them on social media. Terra tries to get her glasses out to take at least one picture of the place, but the professor snatches them from her hand. "Hey! What's the big deal?"
"No glasses while we're out together. You know the rule."
She takes them back and puts them back in her pocket. "I was only trying to take one picture."
"Technology may be convenient, but it disconnects us from the real world. Look at all these people. They're practically no different from the machines that serve them. I won't allow you two to grow up that way."
Terra keeps her mouth shut for this one. She disagrees with the professor about technology, but she knows that if she says a single word of protest, that woman will go into a rant that will last at least twenty minutes. That is not a floodgate she wants to open today.
Luckily, Eila breaks the tension, whether she intends it or not. "Can we go to Toys a' Plenty? I want a new doll house."
"Now, didn't I say on the way over that we're buying you both new clothes?" the professor asks. She leads them across the parking lot to the nearest clothing outlet.
"Nooooo, pleaseee," Eila protests. "I want a doll house!"
"Not today," the professor responds sternly. "Trust me, you don't need another one. We're getting you both new clothes. You will need them."
Getting into the mall proves more challenging than Terra thought. Just outside the entrance, a group of environmentalists pester shoppers and ping virtual posters to people's glasses. When they see the professor and girls aren't wearing their glasses, they get out paper flyers instead and try to force them to take them. "Please, help us in our fight! The Nadurian government has ignored us for long enough. Don't you want to clear our air pollution?"
Terra reaches out to take a flyer, but the professor grabs her hand. "No, thank you. We just want to go shopping."
"Professor," she says as she is dragged away. "It's an important issue. We should help. You're always going on about how harmful technology is. Why don't you want to protest?"
"It doesn't matter. None of this does. Follow me, you two, and stop getting distracted."
Behind them, the environmentalists start chanting, "Say no to the government! Yes to the federation! No to the government! Yes to the federation!"
Terra stares ahead, her heart sinking. Things have been bad for years, but everything is blowing up now. Two weeks ago, the government announced to the people that they had officially cut off all contact with the galactic federation. The people of Planet Viatrix have always been an independent colony, but they kept in contact with the federation as a formality. Now, they're completely cut off from the main part of the galaxy. Space travel has been banned for the common people, and the citizens are being forced to wither away as the toxic air slowly suffocates them, all for corporate profit. Riots have been erupting in the streets daily, and social media is blowing up with thousands of videos ranting about the current state of their world. Yet, the professor doesn't seem to care about any of that. To her, getting them new clothes is more important. What is wrong with her?
The group enters the first clothing store, and before long Eila is picking out all sorts of outfits she wants. The store clerk, an AI robot who looks like a blonde woman, insists they do a virtual try-on, but at the professor's request, they try on the clothes the old-fashioned way: in a changing room. Terra is in and out every time with Eila, and although they pick vastly different clothing, Terra opting for dark punk clothes while Eila finds things bright and colorful, no one questions them going into a room together. They look so alike; it's obvious they're sisters. They have the same ebony skin, dark almond eyes, oval-shaped faces, and thick dark curls. The only difference is how they wear their hair. Eila's is in two thick pigtails on top of her head, while Terra's is shoulder-length and swept to one side. To complete the look, she has three piercings on each ear, both of which hold two sets of earrings with black stones and one with a small chain attached to it. She always gets strange looks from people for her style. However, she's never cared. She makes her way to the checkout counter, and the robot woman scans their items: more ripped jeans, black t-shirts, and some flower dresses for Eila. The professor makes her way over to pay for the items.
They repeat this process at a few more stores, and before they know it, noon has passed. At one point, the professor bought something interesting for them: long black pants and black hoodies. After purchasing, she instructs them to put them to go into the bathroom and put on the clothes. Even stranger, the professor keeps glancing at the time displayed on some store billboards. The more it gets past noon, the more she looks at the time.
"Why do we need to put these on?" Terra asks, holding up her garment. The hoodie is baggy, and the pants are littered with pockets. She doubts she'd look good in these.
"It's so pretty. Look at me, Miss Faramund!" Eila says. She's already out of the bathroom and spinning around in a new dress she picked out.
"Eila, I said the pants and jacket, not the dress! And Terra, please don't talk back right now." the professor scolds. "Just put the right clothes on. We don't have much time lef—"
SHUNK
Then the lights go out.
It's not just the lights, though. It's everyone's tech, too. Terra glances about the mall hallway as everyone frantically tries to turn their glasses back on. Meanwhile, every robot, from the clerks to people's personal helpers, collapses in a massive flurry of clanks and crashes. Is it a mass power outage? A solar flare?
Terra doesn't have time to think about that, however, as the professor grabs the hands of both she and her sister. She leads them into the nearest store and dives under a black stage that holds several mannequins. "Why are we hiding under here?" Terra asks, but the professor simply pushes her down, forcing both she and her sister to lie on their stomachs. "Don't make a sound. I'm sorry. It has begun sooner than I thought."
Eila begins whimpering, but before she can give her opinion, a horrifying sound reverberates throughout the building.
CRASH
Oh no, the ships. Terra thinks. If every electronic is failing, then outside this building…
CRASH CRASH CRASH
What sounds like tens of buses and flying cars crash into the mall's roof, and everyone begins screaming. The professor holds the two girls tight, even as the crashing of ships and screaming of the masses grows deafening. The smell of shattered stone and burning debris permeates Terra's senses, and she begins to wonder if this is the end.
Then… silence.
Dead silence.
It happened so suddenly, as if reality were a video and someone just pressed "pause." One second, everyone was panicking, and ships were falling from the sky. Then, the next, nothing. It's unnatural.
The professor loosens her grip on them and tries to exit from under the stage. Terra grabs her shoulder. "Wait, it could be dangerous."
She brushes her off. "It isn't. Why do you think I brought you two here?"
Reluctantly, the girls make their way out from underneath the stage and stare out the shattered windows of what used to be a store that sells suits for women. In what used to be the mall hallway are scattered pieces of debris, broken-down robots, and billboards, but no ships. That is, until she trails her gaze up the cracked walls and toward the ceiling. She gasps at the sight.
Now jutting through the fifty-foot-high ceiling are three heavily damaged cars. They must have fallen hard enough to break the ceiling, but not collapse it.
"This building was built like the olden days," the professor says. "It's the only place that could withstand this."
"So, you knew this was going to happen?" Terra asks, clenching her fists.
The professor doesn't answer that. Instead, she says, "We should go outside. Find shelter."
"Damira!" Terra screams, grabbing the professor by her shirt collar. "No more games. You have to tell us what's going on!"
Professor Faramund gently grabs Terra's hands and unhooks them from her shirt, unfazed that she just called her by her first name. "Terra Mabaso, pull yourself together! Right now, we need to get out of this building. Explanations can come later."
Creeeaaakkk
As she says that, the ceiling above them creaks, making Terra's heart sink. This building won't last much longer. Even though she hates to admit it, the professor is right. She grabs Eila's hand and together they make their way out of the collapsing mall, into the city.
Gone.
Everyone is gone.
As the now former university student walks the once bustling parking lot with her professor and little sister, she realizes the magnitude of the predicament they're in. Only a few minutes ago, they were shopping. People and technology crowded the streets. The city was bustling with life: from shoppers to influencers to protestors. Now, everything is empty. Bodies litter the streets, but every one of them has a porcelain texture to their skin. They're all robots. The people have disappeared, and technology has completely stopped functioning, as if someone hit an "off" switch on all of civilization. Terra thought it was strange that no one was in the mall, but it's the same outside too. Even the remains of the crashed ships don't have a single human corpse in them. It's as if everyone has vanished into thin air.
Are they the only ones left?
"Terra?" the girl's younger sister asks, staring at the empty buildings and scattered rubble with tears in her eyes.
"Yes, Eila?"
She points past the crashed and smoking cars in the street toward what Terra thought was an empty sidewalk, but through the smog, they can just barely make out a humanoid figure.
It makes its way across the road, traipsing through the chaos as if it knew this was going to happen. As it grows closer, Terra realizes it's a man: a tall blonde man with what appears to be roots growing under his skin in place of veins. The brown roots are spread out from his feet all the way to his pale face, following the curves of his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He wears an orange toga that reaches his ankles, but these features aren't even the most striking part about him.
Terra rubs her eyes to make sure she's not seeing things. Yeah, she's seeing them correctly. Those are wings—shimmering turquoise bug-like wings. He flashes them proudly as if it's completely normal to have them.
No way… they're real?
With piercing eyes the same color as his wings, the fairy looks at them. "Relax, you're free to use magic now. They're all gone, and they're never coming back. This planet is ours' once again."
Terra's eyes widen. What does he mean by 'once again?' This world has always belonged to humans. "What do you mea—" she tries to ask, but the professor cuts her off.
"Of course. Long live the fanice," she tells him. She gives the girls a look that says, Play along for now.
"L-Long live the fanice," Terra says, bowing. She tries her best to hide her terrified expression.
It's coming together now. The sudden disappearance of everyone, technology shutting down… They've been invaded. She isn't sure why or how, but she does know one thing.
These things can't find out they're humans or could disappear, just like everyone else.