Escape into the Unknown

Chapter 1

By NostalgieMalaak

Notes: Takes place in AC 110. I kept thinking what it must have taken for a family, more specifically the Winner family, to give up living on the Earth and move into space when the colonies were first being constructed.

Summary: AC 110. The civil wars on Earth have left many searching for a new home including one family that will begin a dynasty of historic proportions.

Abdullah Ahmed Fayiz stared in dismay at the wreckage that had once been his home. The modest estate, once a lively, pure white color, was stained black from the fire and smoke. All the vegetation that had been so carefully tended to grow around the cozy dwelling was little more than ash.

And then there was the realization of those who had been trapped in the home when the battle started. His sweet wife with her doe-like brown eyes. His teenage daughter whom all the boys in town admired. And his oldest son, Sa'iid, whose boisterous nature had often landed him in trouble.

Wind whipped his clothing around his body, the billowy material creasing and twisting as it swirled around him. Abdullah barely noticed. In fact he could think of nothing. It was strange that his mind seemed so blank. He mused that perhaps had he been any other man he would have flung himself down on the ground and screamed with rage and pain. If he were any other man he would have taken up a charred piece of wood that had once belonged to his hearty little jujube tree and go after the men who had done this. But he was not that sort of man. He was a pacifist and he would not retaliate.

A soft clattering sound behind the man drew his gaze away from his former home. Qadir was kicking stones with his small sandal-bound feet. His face was as blank as his father's. Only the intensity of his oddly colored eyes gave away his feelings.

Qadir was the twin of Sa'iid and had never been quite right after hearing about the death of his brother a week ago.

Had it really been a week already? Yes, Abdullah supposed. Time would continue forward. It didn't halt just for one man's grief.

He looked at his remaining son with the emotionless gaze that had beheld his home, but behind his eyes his thoughts were in turmoil. What would he do with his family now? He couldn't simply lie down and let the sands cover him as he so desperately wished they would. There was little Sani and Hala to look after. Not to mention Qadir whose blue-green eyes burned in his dark face with unparallel intelligence. He was not likely to forget what had happened here. Perhaps Sani and Hala, who were both still young, would be able to.

"Papa?" Hala's sweet voice rang out over the smoke darkened courtyard of the ruins.

"What is it?" Abdullah was surprised at how calm his voice was. But really, he supposed, it was only because he felt so numb inside. Turning slightly he saw his little five year-old daughter come through the opening in the wall that had once held a gate to their garden.

"What am I to wear now? All my cloths are burnt up." Hala asked, her innocence marred with a sadness that reached all the way into her pretty dark eyes.

"We'll find you new things." And where was Sani? It was dangerous for her to be wandering around the wreckage. "Hala? Where's your sister?"

"She went to find her things. She said she had to get something!" Hala cried out, "I'll go find her!"

"No! No, Hala. You stay here with Qadir and I'll go find Sani. It's too dangerous for you to go inside." Hala obediently walked over to where her older brother was crouched in the sand, poking at the dead tree with a careless finger.

The inside of the house looked like it had been gutted. In essence, it had. Nothing had survived the blast. No one had survived it. There wasn't even anything left for them to bury.

Abdullah carefully picked his way through the rubble, taking heed not to step on any of the broken glass. His worn down shoes wouldn't provide him much protection if one of those shards pierced its way through.

"Sani? Sani! Where are you?"

"I'm here papa."

The man followed his daughter's voice into the back room where the girls had slept. The seven year old was kneeling on the floor, digging through a pile of debris. Her hands were covered in black soot and her knees were grimy from the floor. Heedless to her appearance she continued to dig.

"Sani? Come on out now."

"No!"

Even with her back to him, Abdullah could tell that she was in tears. But what was she looking for so frantically? Surely nothing of hers could have survived. All the dolls and cloths she had collected would be little more than cinders now.

Suddenly Sani sat upright, a small choked sob issuing from her mouth. Her hands were cupped around something. As Abdullah drew nearer he could see that is was a small photograph framed in cheap metal. The golden framing was melted and twisted around but the picture inside was still intact. It was the photograph that had been taken of him and his wife on their wedding day.

His lovely wife had beamed radiantly into the camera for the picture. She had had to coax him into a smile for it. Her smile alone made him want to weep. It was that smile that had first drawn him to her those many years ago.

Sani was crying in earnest now, clutching the precious object to her chest and letting the tears flow down her dirt streaked face. Abdullah picked her up in his arms like she was still a very little child and carried her away from the building that could no longer be properly called their home.

Going to his parent's home after he was married had always been something of a trial for Abdullah. These disloyal thoughts however always caused him grief. Wasn't a son supposed to love his father and mother? Wasn't he supposed to care for them in their old age? He supposed that there was a time in which he looked forward to returning home. Even during his years at university he longed for the shady gardens and comforting presence of his family's home.

And then he had met Aya. She was quite honestly the first person Abdullah had ever fallen in love with. With the exception of his five children, she was the only person he had ever been in love with. Oh, he loved his extended family he supposed, but never in the same burning all-encompassing way. Aya had captivated him with her first look. He had loved her the moment he saw her.

His parents had been another matter. Aya was not the one they had imagined her son marrying. He was never quite sure what their reasons for their dislike were but he assumed it could have been any number of things from her humble origins to her lack of conventional beauty.

But Abdullah would have no one but Aya. He even threatened to leave for France or even America if pressured. Everyone was astonished with his forwardness. Abdullah was known for his shy acceptance and passivity towards all aspects of life. To suddenly have him defy his parent's wishes was unthinkable.

The family was in turmoil in the days before the wedding. To their credit though they allowed the marriage. Aya's parents proved to be a source of strength and encouragement to the young couple and many a happy evening had passed between the four of them.

Soon Abdullah began spending more and more time with his in-laws and less with his own family. This resulted in a growing animosity between himself and his parents. Every visit to the home of his parents with or without his new wife would slowly degrade into a shouting match that invariably ended in him storming out in a foul mood.

The worst fight had come when Sa'iid and Qadir were born. His eldest child, a daughter, was blessed with his own stunning beauty and dark features. The two boys however caused unwarranted controversy and sealed Abdullah's parent's dislike of Aya. Although their skin was dark, a warm tan color the same as their father's, their eyes belied their Middle-Eastern heritage. They possessed blue-green eyes the color of the warm Mediterranean Ocean. As no one in either family could claim a relative with such striking and unusual features the worst was thought of Aya's fidelity. Abdullah never for a moment doubted his sweet wife's devotion to him. He remembered Aya's mother once saying that her own mother was a Berber from Kabylia which could explain the rare coloring. If his family had been able to look past their own anger they would have seen that although distinct, the two boys were a beautiful blend of both parent's features and characteristics.

Now as Abdullah sat in his parent's home it was all he could do to hide his anger. Sani and Hala, who he had no doubt would one day grow to be as beautiful as their older sister, had inherited the dominant dark features that he himself possessed. They sat in their grandparent's laps, enjoying the warmth and affection that was showered on them while Qadir, still in a state of deep depression over the death of his twin, sat by himself in a corner of the room looking on with unreadable eyes. Those beautiful blue-green eyes.

His parents often suggested that the young boy be taken to see a psychiatrist, or even better, be placed somewhere that would "allow his mind to heal and let the rest of the family move on with their lives." This Abdullah interpreted to mean some sort of institution. The very thought of placing his small sensitive son in such a place made his stomach churn.

"Qadir?" He spoke quietly, as if trying to sooth a small animal, "Would you like to come sit on my lap?" At ten years old Qadir was past the age of such physical displays but Abdullah felt the need to offer such comfort anyway. Qadir had always been quiet, showing much the same personality as his father, however there was a smoldering genius that lay inside the boy that his father could never hope to understand. After the death of his twin Qadir had locked himself away within that shining intellect. He hadn't even spoken for more than a week.

Physical comfort however had always been highly enjoyable for the child and he gave into that need as he went to his father's side. He didn't sit in his father's lap, but knelt by his side and allowed his father's arm to come around his small boney shoulders.

"Really, Abdullah. You shouldn't pamper the boy like that. How's he supposed to grow up strong with you codling him all the time? He's small enough as it is. No need for him to have a weak personality to boot," Abdullah's mother remarked, still bouncing Hala on her knee.

"There's nothing wrong with Qadir mother. He's just lost his family. It's natural to need some comfort." Abdullah couldn't tell what was worse, the words that his own mother spoke or the condescension in her tone.

"Well Hala and Sani are doing well. At least they still speak." She replied, her eyes never even turning to look at her grandson.

Abdullah ground his teeth in anger. "If you don't mind mother I think Qadir and I will take a walk. I need a bit of fresh air."

"Your mother made a nice meal for tonight. Don't be late," his father said between drags on his cigarette. Abdullah tried to stifle the reaction to curl up his lip in distaste. He had told his father no less than a hundred times not to smoke around the children but his father was a stubborn man and listened to no one but himself.

Although a walk had seemed just the thing needed to clear his head Abdullah found the oppressive daytime heat more of an annoyance than an aid. There wasn't even a breeze to move the heavy air and give a slight bit of refreshment. Qadir was similarly affected and as their walk progressed began to droop noticeably. Spotting a café nearby where he had spent many hours of his youth watching people pass by Abdullah gently nudged Qadir in that direction. The boy gratefully flopped down on a chair under the shady overhang and his father soon followed.

Not many people were out and about to let Abdullah indulge in his old past-time of people watching but he was grateful for the shade. He bought Qadir a soda and for a while he sat in contemplative silence. A radio blared from somewhere inside the café.

Lost in thought Abdullah didn't notice a news bulletin interrupt the music playing inside. He did notice however that Qadir sat up in his chair, his soda momentarily forgotten. The boy's father looked around and spotted a crowd of older men lounging against the counter inside the café listening intently to what was being broadcast. Abdullah settled back into his chair once he realized what was being said. Space had begun being colonized over one hundred years ago and had only now seemed to be making real progress. With the economic and political aid poring into space from the Middle East nations people were migrating en masse to the newly formed colonies. Abdullah sighed bitterly. Perhaps the governments should have tried stabilizing things on Earth first. Perhaps they should have taken care of their own people first. Perhaps then his family wouldn't have….but it was no good to think of such things. He had to make do with what he had and keep his small family together.

Qadir however was still listening, a small frown marring his clear features. Abdullah allowed himself a smile. He could remember when he was Qadir's age and dreamed of going into space. After a moment the smile, tiny as it was, slipped from his face as he regarded his son. There was a calculating look on the small boy's face that Abdullah had rarely seen. This was no mere flight of fancy for a young boy. He turned his attention more fully on the broadcast.

People really were making a living for themselves in space. In space there was peace and little conflict. It was difficult enough just to survive there, much less cause problems. But to leave everything behind? One's job, family…leave behind the precious Earth? Not so precious now. Abdullah thought about the smoking ruin that had been his house. Thought of his wife and daughter as they had waved goodbye to him and his three youngest children. Thought of the haunted look in Qadir's eyes when he had collapsed in the market for no reason and the sound of the bombs coming in overhead. Life was precious. The safety of his family was precious. He had failed to protect them…but perhaps in space…

When Abdullah entered his parent's house that evening (and received a withering glare for daring to be late) he was still thinking about the bulletin. Thinking about how cool and quiet outer space would be.

When his mother began to scold Qadir for not eating which upset Hala to the point of tears Abdullah had had enough.

"Mother, Father, I have something to say." At first he didn't think they had heard his quiet voice but they eventually turned to him. "I thank you for your hospitality, but I can't stay here."

"What do you mean, Abdullah? We're your family! These girls need a mother figure in their life. I dare say they haven't had much of one before-"

"ENOUGH!" Abdullah's sharp outburst surprised even himself. "I am taking my children and we're leaving. We're going to leave the fighting behind us. I couldn't bear to see one more of my children die in these meaningless conflicts."

Silence reigned over the table. Qadir looked up at his father with his large blue-green eyes that held no fear and no trepidation.

"We're moving to space."

Later that evening Abdullah sat outside staring up at the stars. Their new home. What would it be like? Would the children be able to handle such a drastic move? Most likely they would adapt much more quickly than he himself.

He breathed in the clean air of the earth and tried to feel its movement beneath him. Would he truly miss this place? After all it was no longer his home. Not since Aya had died. And that look in Qadir's eyes that evening at the table. Perhaps space would be a place of healing for him, for them all.

Abdullah knew of a cousin related to his father, also of the Fayiz name whose line of the family had been in space since the very beginning. Maybe they could be of some help. They were family after all, as distant as they may be. Abdullah snorted at this. He couldn't even stay on the earth because of his own parents and now he wanted to rely on distant cousins? He supposed so.

Tomorrow he would begin the process of immigrating to space.

tbc