Under a pitiless orange sky, tinged brine-bloody by the dust of burning jungle trees there hid a city older than any from the hand of Man. Built into caverns and connected via magma tubes, the city of Kôr was unseen and unwitnessed. A shadow world underground that played host to an ancient splinter of a more-ancient civilization….

Amina clenched into a painful ball, a yell of pure agony rising from her throat as she clutched her belly.

Zawadi helped her onto a stone table once the pain passed.

“It’s too soon!” said Amina.

“Hush child, hold still!” Zawadi took out the implements of her craft — the pointed rings and stones — and pressed a golden plate over her eye. The iPatch™ flickered to life and showed glowing readouts and information overlaid over her patient.

“Auntie — ”

“It’s just an early — ha.” she finished flatly. The stones held against her patient’s belly came to a total stop.

Amina grabbed her hands. “What is wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. It’s just not right.”

Amina wailed and clutched her stomach. “What do you mean?”

“There has been a hormone shift, which happens sometimes. Desired physionomy is registering recessive.”

“So adjust the hormones!” snapped Amina.

Zawadi bade her to relax and lay out, holding her hand during the next false contraction. “Your body is trying to warn you.”

Amina grimaced through her pain. “Whatever it takes!”

Slack, and probing fingers moving the sensors around her swelling belly. Anna was just starting to show, there were months left in development to correct things as long as….

She whistled to the next room. “Summon Hiya!”

Amina wailed.

***

Hiya took the biomass to the incinerator.

It was not too long a walk, but long enough for introspection.

There was no ritual or ceremony to such disposals, but always a palpable sense of regret and a wish that things had developed differently.

“I am sorry little sister. But our order must be merciless with ourselves so survive on this Earth.”

She entered the cavern of fire without slowing. Many times had she walked this path.

“I have gotten dressed for you little one. All my makeup and finery to see you off. Your first duty was sacrifice and that is always sad. But we do this together.

She placed the tray delicately on the stone grating. The distant rumble of a slow pulse beat deep below. She stepped back as the fire built.

Soon there flamed out an effulgence that sparked from red to rainbow-banded wings of flame circling upwards — a pillar of fire releasing the Flame of Life. It engulfed the surgical tray, burning away the sadness and leaving only duty.

“To continue,” Hiya swore to the flames. “Our genes must dominate.”

copyright notice:
Kôr, Hiya, and the Flame of Life originate from the H. Rider Haggard story She, originally published in 1887, which is now in the public domain.