by Ann Gimpel
A pins and needles sensation from her nether regions told her she was well past cold. Tears finally spent, she could be rational once again. Her ability to think and reason had always been her greatest asset, and she welcomed its return.
“Dozier’s right,” she muttered. “Assuming we found oil, or promising shale, U.S. Petroleum Corporation probably doesn’t exist anymore. Even if they did, I have no way of communicating with them. We do need to figure out how to move the house.”
Rearranging her cold-stiffened body in preparation for standing, she pushed herself to her knees, determined to go in and ask Dozier what else the other androids—or whomever he communed with—might have told him. Maybe they knew things, she mused. Things she and Dozier could use to help themselves—now that she was finally in a listening mood.
Wait.
Something was approaching, but from a long way off.
What was that off in the distance?
Cyra shielded her goggle-less eyes. Was a leopard seal slithering toward her? She glanced around, feeling anxious. Would it hurt her? She wasn’t aware of seals ever attacking humans, but if the sea could rip a jagged gash in the ice, advancing over a mile in just a few minutes, most anything was possible...
She stared harder. It was a seal. No, make that two. From another direction two penguins shuffled toward her, tottering on their funny webbed feet with a baby that just barely kept up. Skuas and terns swooped down, kiting their graceful wings to form a crab angle to the stiff breeze. A pair of albatrosses joined them, enormous wings pumping the turbulent air.
Cyra thought she could make out a pair of Weddell seals—grayish, mottled coats blending in almost perfectly with the Antarctic landscape— heading her way as well.
No longer afraid, she welcomed a sense of wonder seeping through her, emanating from all directions. Soon, she was surrounded by all manner of living creatures. They were snuffling at her, nosing her, and pecking gently at her clothing.
She sank back down to the snowy surface. It didn’t feel nearly as cold this time. A leopard seal pushed against her chin with its cold, whiskered nose, and then sat back on its hind legs, clapping its flippers together. The mother penguin—or maybe the father—urged their baby her way. Why wasn’t the seal trying to eat it? Cyra stretched a gloved hand to fondle the small penguin.
A skua landed on her shoulder, staring at her with its lidless, avian eyes. The albatrosses fluttered down nearby and walked until they stood next to her, preening their feathers.
Gratitude beat a track from her head to her feet as she sat on the ice surrounded by Antarctic creatures like an arcane goddess in an ancient tableau. Realization of just how arrogant humankind—her kind—had been shamed her.
“Never again,” she managed, holding out her hands to the gentle creatures gathered around her. “Never again. I’m so very sorry. We never meant to hurt you. We didn’t think.”
What an understatement! She snorted.
People didn’t think about much of anything for a ridiculously long time until Earth rebelled and left them with exactly what they deserved—nothing.
Cyra bowed her head and closed her eyes, grateful for her epiphany, but chagrined it had been so long coming. Could she have done anything to avert the current disaster if she’d opened her mind to the obvious a bit sooner?
“Maybe, but I’m not responsible for everything,” she finally murmured. One voice swimming against the tides wouldn’t have made any difference at all.
All around her, the air took on a vibration, and a deep, soothing hum rose from the snow beneath her body. Her eyes widened. What would happen next? The animals were one miracle. Would another show itself?
“Thank you, Daughter... Thank you, Daughter... Thank you, Daughter,” reverberated in multiple tones and timbres. The incessant wind had died away and, for the briefest of moments, it actually felt balmy. She pulled back her hood, letting the setting sun caress her long, silvery hair.
Cyra felt unworthy of any thanks. Suddenly bold, she blurted out, “Thank you...Mother.”
As she gazed around her, filled with more hope than she’d felt in a long time, the southern skies lit with the aurora Australis. Soon it stretched from horizon to horizon as greens, reds, purples, blues and teals tumbled over one another, vying for which could be most spectacular.
Scrambling to her feet, Cyra threaded her way among the animals to find Dozier. He’d appreciate the light show, and they rarely lasted long. She didn’t have to go far. He stood framed in the yurt’s doorway, a broad smile on his face.
“So you finally figured it out,” he said, the metallic whir gone from his voice.
Cyra nodded. “I think so,” she replied in clear, unwavering tones. “You have a lot to tell me, though, don’t you?”
“We have all the time in the world for that, Cyra.” Warmth gleamed from Dozier’s eyes. “All the time in the world.” As he strode forward, the animals surrounded him, each wanting to be closest. Turning, he held out his hand to Cyra drawing her into their midst.
“These are my friends.” Dozier swept his arms wide to encompass their furred and feathered companions. “Besides introducing you to them, there’s something else I’ve wanted to do for a very long time.” Drawing her close, he pressed his mouth to hers, metallic skin surprisingly warm against her tender lips.
Cyra drew back. “But you’re a machine,” she gasped.
“Do I feel like one?” Dozier asked reasonably, still holding her snugly within the protective circle of his arms.
Caught off guard, Cyra thought about his question. Shyly, she reached up with one gloved hand and stroked Dozier’s cheek. “Not exactly,” she stammered.
The years of loneliness took over, speaking with a mind of their own, and she whispered fiercely. “I don’t care what you are. The only thing that truly matters is that you care about me.” Standing on tiptoe, with the colors of the aurora Australis streaming around them, Cyra kissed him back.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I included Epiphany in this collection not because it’s great writing. It isn’t, but it was my very first piece of published fiction. The Aurora Wolf Literary Journal gave it a home in December 2009. And paid me for it. I still like the storyline. I wrote it long before my first actual trip to Antarctica and got the details mostly right sight unseen, thanks to the Internet.
No one would have guessed—least of all me—that this story would turn into the leading edge of a whole new career.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my eclectic story collection. Links to more of my work are just below.
About the Author:
Ann Gimpel is a USA Today bestselling author. A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines, magazines, and anthologies. Her longer books run the gamut from urban fantasy to paranormal romance to science fiction. Once upon a time, she nurtured clients. Now she nurtures dark, gritty fantasy stories that push hard against reality. When she’s not writing, she’s in the backcountry getting down and dirty with her camera. She’s published over 45 books to date, with several more planned for 2017 and beyond. A husband, grown children, grandchildren, and wolf hybrids round out her family.
Keep up with her at www.anngimpel.com or http://anngimpel.blogspot.com
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Also by Ann Gimpel
Alphas in the Wild
Hello Darkness
Alpine Attraction
A Run For Her Money
Fire Moon
Coven Enforcers
Blood and Magic
Blood and Sorcery
Blood and Illusion
Demon Assassins
Witch's Bounty
Witch's Bane
Witches Rule
Dragon Lore
Highland Secrets
To Love A Highland Dragon
Dragon Maid
Dragon's Dare
Earth Reclaimed
Earth's Requiem
Earth's Blood
Earth's Hope
Earth Reclaimed Series
GenTech Rebellion
Winning Glory
Honor Bound
Claiming Charity
Rubicon International
Garen
Lars
Soul Storm
Dark Prophecy
Dark Pursuit
Dark Promise
Underground Heat
Roman's Gold
Wolf Born
Blood Bond
Wolf Clan Shifters
Alice's Alphas
Megan's Mates
Sophie's Shifters
Standalone
Red Dawn
Marked by Fortune
Shadows in Time
Alphas in the Wild Collection
Midnight Magic
Underground Heat
Heart's Flame
Icy Passage
Dark Storm, Soul Storm Books Collection
Warin's War
Shadow Play
Melis's Gambit
Rubicon International Series Bundle
Coven Enforcers Series
Edge of Night