80 - Escape to the Future

Maia felt fortunate to have escaped relatively unscathed from her marriage with Reid, yet she missed the companionship they had once shared, and she still longed for her soulmate.  But since she had already spent her lucky coin on a wish that hadn’t come true, she was at a loss about what to do next. She felt she had no choice but to put her hopes of having Samael in her life aside.

But Piper and Beck soon aged up to toddlers, providing her with a distraction from her thoughts and giving her plenty to do! Both were werewolves, like Reid.

Maia had her hands full for a time with teaching the twins how to walk, talk and use the potty.

And they also had bonding time with their IFs Seashell and Storm.

Taking care of six toddlers left Maia little time to accomplish much else.  Dax, Indie and Eden were somewhat easier to watch over as they were witches, and were easily occupied by simply making their toys disappear and reappear.

But chasing after were-toddlers Jude, Piper and Beck left her exhausted, especially when she had to keep track of them as they practiced hunting.

And Jude was always trying to eat the bugs he captured in his little fistfuls of dirt.

The were-tots had also begun to sharpen their claws. Diana tried to lead by example and show them how to use a scratching post, but the wee werewolves were more interested in scratching up the furniture instead.

Maia was surprised that Diana didn’t mind them as the cat had never liked Reid. She couldn’t help but wonder if Diana had disliked Reid more for what she could sense of his personality than the fact that he was a werewolf. But she was grateful that Diana was so very patient with them all.

The cat even joined in with some of their play. At night when the moon was out, the were-toddlers all howled in unison and Diana yowled along with them!

Maia was relieved when it came time for the older toddlers to become children. Hopefully it would mean at least a little less noise!

Happy birthday Dax!

Happy birthday Jude!

Happy birthday Indie!

Happy birthday Eden!

Having fewer toddlers to deal with helped Maia’s sanity immensely, but she was still a bit stressed from all the work they had required, as well as her recent divorce from Reid.  She began to think of going on vacation before she went seeking another baby daddy; just a short getaway that would give her a bit of a break from daily life. She thought it might be nice to escape on her own for a change and just enjoy herself.

Joy and Isak thought it was a great idea and offered to help A.C.E. watch the kids while she was gone.

She wasn’t sure of where her destination should be until Isak reminded her about their son Pascal’s IF Blinks, whose dream had been to open a futuristic themed vacation spot and call it Oasis Landing.  Escaping to the future sounded like a good plan to Maia, so she went online to book herself a vacation there right away.

Maia hugged her children goodbye and then she was off to Oasis Landing.

Upon arriving, Maia headed straight to the hostel to get a room for the duration of her stay. 

Just looking at that one building made her very proud of Blinks and all he had accomplished, but she hadn’t expected to see the group that met her there.

“Surprise!” Blinks himself was waiting for her, along with Tesla, Pascal and Winks!

Maia was delighted to have her children and their IFs as her own personal welcoming committee, and all of them chatted excitedly together as they gave Maia a tour of the building where she’d be staying.

Much of the technology was similar to the advancements Maia had grown accustomed to in her Lucky Palms home: food synthesizers, holographic computers and TV’s, sonic showers and pneumatic elevators. But there were also many things Maia was introduced to that she had never imagined existed, like dream pods, hover boards, jet-packs and adorable digital pets called Sprites.

After their tour the kids had to get going, but they gave Maia a map to easily find her way around the town and wished her a fun and exciting vacation in Oasis Landing.

Maia decided to make her first stop the EP-XI Imports Gallery. There she was able to choose some themed clothing to wear for her future explorations.

Maia enjoyed looking at all the future-modern architecture while touring the town as she rode the Zephyr monorail, as well as watching the people.  There was also a diversity of Plumbots who served as tour guides and worked in the various shops and restaurants.

Maia had a nice time dining out, as well as learning how to ride a hover board.

After a long day exploring, Maia headed back to the hostel and curled up in a dream pod for a pleasant rest uninterrupted by howling toddlers and cats.

The following morning while breakfasting with some of her fellow travelers, Maia met an interesting man who introduced himself as Pryce Brave.  He had caught her eye at first because he didn't dress in futuristic clothing like most of the other vacationers; that alone made him stand out. But in speaking with him more, Maia found herself quite attracted to him.

It seemed the attraction was mutual, and soon enough Maia found herself spending more time with Pryce in the following days and together they attended astronomy shows and bot competitions and went clubbing.

The two of them also spent a lot of time talking, and Maia learned that he was a wandering soul who never stayed long in one town. In that way, Pryce reminded her a bit of Chasin and Cruz's father, Trevor Dalton; both men were drifters who rambled from place to place, traveling towards an uncertain future.

That kind of life both fascinated and repelled Maia. On the one hand, part of her still relished the fantasy of breaking free of the prophecy and the obligation of the baby challenge with no one to answer to but herself.  And yet, the thought of not knowing what a lifetime of tomorrows might bring was distressing.  She found comfort in routine and in knowing she was meant to complete the task, and she felt some anxiety about what she might do when it was over. Once she had been certain her soulmate would be a part of her future which gave her an inner anchor to hold onto, but now Maia felt adrift because she was no longer sure if that could ever be.

“But that’s the thing about the future,” Pryce said to Maia while they waited for the Digi-Blast show to begin. “The future isn’t about certainty; it’s about possibility, and outcomes we can only guess at. Just look around. This vacation spot was built on the concept of what we imagine things may look like in time, but we don’t know for certain what the future will really be like. All we can be certain of is the past, and sometimes not even that.”  

While they watched the show, Pryce went on to explain to Maia that he remembered nothing of his own past; not his parents and not even his own name. But he knew he needed to be brave on his quest to discover his past, and he was willing to pay whatever price was necessary.  So he had given himself the name Pryce Brave so he would never forget his purpose, and he had embraced the journey towards his unknown future.

And then Maia embraced him; partly in an attempt to comfort him, partly because she was attracted to him, and partly because his story had given her a much needed reminder.

Like Maia, Pryce was missing memories from the past, which had made the future feel even more uncertain.  But he had bravely acknowledged the unknowns and decided to move forward despite them, whereas Maia had allowed her doubts and fears to prevent her from seeking the answers she needed. But unlike Pryce, Maia knew where to begin looking—she too could choose to be brave and pay the price in remembered pain and look to her dreams of her past life.  Instead of simply escaping her present and imagining the possibilities of her future, she could journey to the past in her dreams and learn what had happened there; to see what had been so she might better know what could be.

But that was for another time; for when she had returned home and was better prepared.  Tonight she was in the present with Pryce, and Maia intended to make the most of it.

In the morning when she woke, Pryce was gone.  He had left her a note on the desk in her room, saying goodbye and wishing her luck in finding what she was looking for.  Maia hoped he knew that she wished him the same.

Maia was ready to leave Oasis Landing too.  She had enjoyed her temporary escape to the future, but she was ready to return home to her children in the present, home to where her future babies with Pryce would be born, and home to where she would attempt her journey to the past.

It was time.