Dadzie looked up at last and his gaze was firm and his eyes dry when he brought them to level with hers. ‘I understand, I will go before he comes back,’ he said, clinching his jaw.
‘Thank you,’ Pelumi said and walked out of the room.
Dadzie watched her until she left the dining room then he nodded twice and tapped the patch behind his ear and hailed an air cab.
9
‘James Maduka says I should come live with him and his wife says she doesn’t want me around,’ Dadzie said to his mother as he strode into the house.
‘Welcome back, Dadzie,’ she said, walking over to pick up the knapsack he had dropped by the door. ‘You didn’t say you were coming back today.’
‘You are avoiding the question,’ he accused.
‘You didn’t ask a question.’
‘Ok... let’s not debate human speech mannerisms now. What do you think about me living with James Maduka?’
‘Dadzie, you know I don’t think. You are an adult now and you can make you own choices. Your conception, birth, and upbringing were my purpose. I am what you may call the first attempt to have an android act as a surrogate for a human child. My purpose ended the day you turned sixteen.’
‘Why are you telling me this now?’
‘Because it would help you make the right decision, for you.’
‘I have never questioned the right to call you mother, but I have always wondered how I was conceived. I know enough about human physiology to know I am human. I don’t know if I am part android.’
‘You are one hundred percent human. Your biological parents are James and Pelumi Maduka.’
‘What?’ Dadzie’s eyes were as round as saucers.
‘Yes, the egg was harvested from Pelumi Maduka.’
‘But... you carried me in your tummy; I’ve seen the hologram of my birth.’
‘Yes, I was designed to be able to carry a human child to term. That is the whole point of the technology creating an android surrogate. I am the first of many.’
Epilogue
The white military grade truck with a raggedy red cross painted on the sides lumbered into what had been no man’s land a few hours ago. A tall youth stepped out of the passenger side and, medic bag in hand, ran across the gutted ground checking the pulses of the shot-up bodies of soldiers that gave their lives for what was essentially a worthless piece of earth.
‘One is breathing here!’ he called out, beckoning to his colleagues.
‘What is your name and unit sir,’ the medic asked the injured soldier as he cut off his combat fatigues to see how damaged he was.
‘Dadzie, Captain Dadzie Maduka, Tin Island Braves,’ the soldier murmured.
Mazi Nwonwu is the pen name of Chiagozie Nwonwu, a Lagos-based journalist and writer. While journalism and its demands take up much of his time, when he can, Mazi Nwonwu writes speculative fiction, which he believes is a vehicle through which he can transport Africa’s diverse culture to the future. He is a co-founder of Omenana, an African-centrist speculative fiction magazine, and a Senior Broadcast Journalist with BBC Igbo service. His work has appeared in Lagos 2060 (Nigeria’s first Science Fiction anthology), AfroSFv1 (first Pan-African Science Fiction Anthology), Sentinel Nigeria, Saraba Magazine, and It Wasn’t Exactly Love, an anthology on sex and sexuality publish by Farafina in 2015.
Inhabitable
Andrew Dakalira
The smell of formaldehyde was faint, but Jumbe still caught a whiff as her eyelids fluttered open. Parted green curtains revealed streaks of a golden light she had not seen in a long time. Jumbe did not need the smooth, dark-skinned face staring at her to tell her where she was.
‘Mukupeza bwanji?’
Jumbe ignored the inquiry into how she was feeling. ‘When did I get here and how?’
The nurse smiled, revealing a set of pearl-white teeth; a perfect model in her uniform. ‘The hospital? You were brought here yesterday. The farmer who brought you in says someone must have thrown you out of a moving f-car, because you fell straight into his aeroharvester.’
‘Aeroharvester? Where exactly am I?’
‘You’re in Balaka, Malawi. Bwanji, are you alright?’
The district hospital’s corridors, usually filled with moans of pain and sorrow, were instead inundated by Jumbe’s maniacal laughter.
I was home. The lush pasture, with cattle lazily nibbling on tiny shoots, minimally supervised by cantankerous herdboys. Light rain pattering on iron sheets, creating the fresh-mud smell outside that always raised even the lowest of spirits. Roast goat, with the aroma of fresh Kambuzi pepper still lingering.
‘Wake up.’ A slap to the face. Kareen was looking at me. It had all been a dream. I was not home. I was still surrounded by glass; still a prisoner.
‘How bad was it this time?’ She helped me off the cold glass floor. ‘Did you give it anything?’
‘Yes, I did,’ I shot back, still a little groggy. ‘Some Manganje music and M’bona’s decapitation.’
Kareen is still laughing when another voice chimes in. ‘Who the hell is M’bona?’
Toni is by far one of the most beautiful women to have ever walked in any galaxy. I have said this so many times that Bayo voiced what everyone else was probably thinking; that I was attracted to her. They all agreed with me, though. She was tall, with a bronze face and sculpted cheekbones, plus the healthy muscle tone of a soldier. It was hard not to like her.
‘A legend from my country,’ I say, suddenly disinterested. ‘One of the greatest sorcerers to have ever lived. I’ll tell you about him some time. Am I the last one back?’
‘See for yourself, “O Captain! my Captain!” All you need to do is twirl.’ Jakaya’s words were as condescending as they were true. The glass cubicle serving as our cell, suspended five feet in the air and only linked to the other glass buildings by an escalator, was sparsely furnished. We each had a steel bench, covered with what felt like polystyrene, and nothing else. It was easy to see that everyone was back.
‘How long until they give up, you think? By my calculation, we have been here for two and a half Earth months,’ Jakaya continued.
Kareen’s response was unenthusiastic. ‘I don’t think we want them to give up just yet. At least, I don’t. I have a feeling these neuro-probes are the sole reason we are still alive. Whatever it is they are looking for, if they find it, or decide that it is longer important, then we’re toast.’
Nobody could disagree with that logic. I turned to the rest of the party for input. ‘What’s the matter with you two? You’re unusually quiet. Any ideas?’
Hossam and Bayo glanced at each other. ‘With all due respect, Captain,’ Hossam said, ‘I do not see the point of this discussion.’
Bayo’s smile was light and playful. ‘I hate to agree with El-Hadary here, but he’s right.’ Hossam shot him an annoyed look, which Bayo acknowledged with a lewd gesture. ‘Besides, it seems we have aroused their interest even more now. Someone is coming.’
Species: Human
Planetary origin: Earth
Planet location: Unknown
Known associates: Oliver Mtukudzi, Michael Jackson, M’bona, Simba.
Probe results: Inconclusive
Recommendation: Employ alternative tactics; delay anti-colonisation mission.
The thing that came to get me was no different from my other captors. It had one eye, a nostril, and a mouth that was really just a no-lips slit. There were three claws on each hand, long, slender and poking out from a large grey robe, scaled like the Chambo fish back home. Its eye seemed to dress me down like a disapproving mother-in-law. ‘You. Come.’
In the glass corridor, surrounded by purple and yellow shrubbery, I was an animal; caged and put on display. They all stared up at me, my brown skin a distinct point of fascination, despite the blue worksuit that covered most of it. The uninterrupted light was also something I was not used to. It was a mystery to me how this species, whatever they were, managed to live without darkness.
&nb
sp; We went past a room I was all too familiar with—a reminder of the probing I had recently undergone—into a cubicle I had not been to before. Its single occupant seemed out of place, dwarfed by the gigantic screens it was looking at. It was the same as the others, save for the gold robe it was wearing. The robe shimmered as the thing turned to face me.
‘We have not yet met, Captain, purely by design. I was very confident that there would be no need for us to do so during your entire stay here.’
Its grasp of the English language was impeccable, something which astonished me. It noticed. ‘I see you’re surprised by my fluency in one of your languages. We have the neuro-probe sessions to thank for that. We may not have the information we need, but we were still able to extract a few essentials. Your names, for example.’
I remembered Kareen’s words, whatever it was they needed had not been found. ‘What information do you need from us? If it is our planet’s location, then you can forget it. We would rather die than divulge such sensitive information to our captors.’
Its mouth let out a few intermittent hisses, which I took as a sign of amusement. ‘Death? Believe me, captain, I have no intention of killing you or your friends. I admit that our methods have been far from endearing, but we were not sure if you would accept our request. Now I fear we have no choice but to approach you directly.’
‘Request? What request?’
‘Well, you see, Captain, we need your help.’
#
‘So, let me get this straight,’ Toni began. ‘These things damn-near paralyse us with their daily probes, now all of a sudden they ask for our help?’
‘Yes,’ I replied, slightly annoyed by the reproach in her voice. ‘If we agree to help them, they will let us go.’
‘Captain, are you out of your mind? We cannot trust anything that these things tell us. Are you so naïve or too incompetent that you would take the word of an unknown species that may just kill us at any moment?’
‘That’s enough, Jakaya,’ Hossam spoke, diffusing what would have been a hostile exchange. He, however, was also not convinced. ‘He is right, Captain. We cannot just take their word for it. What guarantee do we have that they will not execute us anyway if we do as they ask?’
‘We don’t,’ I said, ‘but it is better than just sitting in this glass box, getting our nerves fried until they decide to get rid of us. Besides, as soon as we get on the ship, we can disable any tracker they have installed and destroy any ship that tries to follow us. Once we hit hyperspace, you know they cannot find us.’
Kareen lightly tapped the glass she was leaning against. ‘You know, J, the question these space cadets ought to be asking is, what exactly do they need our assistance with?’
Part of me was glad it was she who had asked. ‘Actually, Kareen, they really need just three of us; Toni, Bayo, and yourself.’
Bayo did not flinch. ‘A career soldier, a weapons expert, and a nuclear physicist. No need to guess what these ugly little mongrels want.’
‘Weapons? I don’t believe that,’ Toni spoke again. ‘Captain, you saw the guns they had when they captured us. They paralysed our systems, for Christ’s sake. Why would they need our guns?’
‘I know why,’ Kareen answered. ‘There are some types of weapons that they do not have. Like the ones in the ship’s hull, for example.’ She turned to me. ‘That is what they are after, isn’t it? The six little devils.’
I nodded. ‘They need to know how to arm and fire them, or if it is possible to manufacture more on this planet. Once we help them with that, they will let us go.’
‘And why would we do that, only for them to turn and fire the missiles on us?’ Jakaya had asked the question I did not have the answer to.
‘By the way, Captain,’ Bayo chipped in. ‘You didn’t happen to make this deal with a cretin dressed in gold, did you?’
‘Yes, I did. How did you know?’
‘He’s coming this way.’
It seemed in a hurry. ‘Have you decided, Captain?’
I took a step forward and immediately three guards raised their guns. ‘We cannot help you manufacture or handle weapons you can just as easily kill us with,’ I said. ‘We refuse.’
‘I anticipated that answer,’ it said with a slight hint of disappointment. ‘You misunderstand our intentions, Captain. The weapons are not intended to harm you. I wish I could explain further, but since we are running out of time, perhaps it is only wise to show you.’
It held out its hands, six yellow pills nearly slipping from them. Hossam instinctively stepped forward.
‘I assure you, Captain, that these pills will not kill you. These are history pills. All they will do is show you why we are badly in need of your assistance. Besides, had it been my intention to kill you, it would already have been done. Now, I’m afraid I have to insist. We are pressed for time.’
I did not know this species well, but it is not too hard to tell when anyone is being serious. I took one, and it had hardly stroked my tongue before the room disappeared.
It was the same planet; the green, purple, and yellow shrubbery, had clearly been around for a long while. However, it had a certain freshness which had been absent from my glass prison. There was only one building here and it was at least fifty feet tall. The glass had the lemon green colour that hid whatever entry point it had, which is why my body shivered as I inexplicably found myself inside.
Of the four occupants, only one seemed out of place. His purple head was peppered with streaks of grey, with what looked like a small blue tomato where his nose was supposed to be. It was clear that they couldn’t see me; no one moved.
‘You do not stand a chance, Bajaji. You are aware of this,’ the strange man spoke directly towards the thing I only knew as my captor. ‘Surrender now and save your kind while you still can.’
My captor, dressed in gold as I had seen him before, was defiant. ‘You already destroyed one planet, Mbalale, you mbuzi. We offered you and your kind a chance to live here as our brothers, but you would rather conquer us. We shall not yield.’
Mbalale’s hostility oozed through the pleasantries. ‘Look outside, old friend. We are built for war. Your kind will not survive.’
‘Be that as it may, we are united, and despite our primitive weapons, we clearly outnumber you.’ Bajaji stepped forward. ‘Go back to that wretched planet you call a home and try to save what is left of it. Perhaps it is not too late to correct what you have so unintelligently destroyed.’
‘You always were stubborn, Bajaji,’ Mbalale began to say, but I was drifting out of the building and back into the odd vegetation. It was then that I noticed them; camouflaged among the trees, weapons unstrapped. I knew they were with Mbalale, and as I turned around to warn Bajaji, I saw the familiar purple heads of my captors.
It was similar to an ant colony, streaming behind the lone glass building and beyond. Their heads lined up like dominoes, unmoving, aware of their opponents. Inside the building, I saw Mbalale smile and lift his arms. My body was instantly hit by a flail of painful blue light.
I woke up with a taste of copper in my mouth. Bajaji was leaning over me, holding what looked like a salt shaker.
‘Are you alright, Captain?’
‘I’m fine,’ I snapped. ‘What the hell was that?’
‘Electronically-engineered tablets. We gave you the nanobots infused with the memory of our first war. We have to destroy them after each session, though, before they multiply. Which is why I have this.’ He held up the shaker. ‘They have all been short-circuited.’
‘And if that thing doesn’t work?’ Jakaya asked.
‘The nanos are also equipped with trackers. Should we fail to neutralise them this way, we use more shocking alternatives.’ Bajaji seemed pleased with himself.
‘That technology was only a concept in the medical field when we left Earth,’ Hossam said excitedly. ‘How did you manage to perfect it, yet you cannot make your own advanced weapons?’
I was about to reprimand
our doctor for spilling out information, but Bajaji spoke first. ‘Priorities, Doctor al Jabari. We have always been a peaceful species, until this conflict began not long ago. By the way, Doctor, I have been meaning to ask you; why does one of your colleagues call you El-Hadary?’
‘Famous Egyptian football player.’
‘Doctor!’
Hossam realised what he had done and immediately stopped talking.
Our captor only smiled. ‘We do not have much time, Captain. War is upon us. Will you and your kind assist us?’
‘This is not our war,’ I said. ‘It does not matter what happened during the first war. We will not help you slaughter each other, so you can kill us now if you want.’
Bajaji’s smile disappeared. ‘That is quite unfortunate. You must understand, Captain, that the last time they came, half of my kind perished. Without your help, then we are destined for failure.’ Then, turning go, it spoke again. ‘I told you that I would not kill you. However, given the circumstances, I cannot guarantee your safety. If we die, then you and your men shall die with us.’
Toni spoke even before the reinforced glass doors had closed. ‘Is it just me, or has that thing just subtly said that it is going to leave us here for that other group to kill us?’
Species: Human
Cooperation Status: Unwilling
Recommendation: Postpone Anti-colonisation mission
Interplanetary Conflict: Imminent
The African Union Academy had taught us many things. Exploration missions were tough, and we had to expect different scenarios, even different species. Four years we had travelled in the deep, dark expanse, with only countless uninhabitable planets providing a refreshing distraction. The galaxy was as we were told; a never-ending canvas of darkness and spinning orbs. But our mission had been a failure, until now.
‘The very first planet we find with signs of life, and it just had to be populated by bloodthirsty animals,’ Jakaya said, staring directly at me. ‘Talk about bad luck. Who forgot to visit their mother before leaving Earth?’
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