Pala and Kuskurr and Turkat
The device burned a hundred thousand ancient ferns and more, but it functioned, and as the hissing ozone faded to dissolute puffs, the early Upper Paleolithic man stepped, shocked and terrified, from the golden acid-singing rings.
The chemical translator unit functioned as promised, though not as expected - in that it did not fail. The early man was shuffled away to weeks of adjustment and medication, as anyone who was suddenly cast into an intensively sociopathic scenario might be. Only after several months, translator and drugs notwithstanding, was he able to be interviewed.
"My name is Kuskurr," he said, upon being asked. His skin was brown, his lank hair was black, and he was perpetually uncomfortable. The interviewers tries to keep the room dull and quiet, as the enormity his new existence frequently drove him to numb exhaustion.
"I have nine children," he added "I want to see them. Where are my children?"
That was impossible. He did not understand.
"Kuskurr," said one of those speaking to him "You are our only opportunity to gain objective evidence about the start of civilisation. Tell us about your children."
He described all nine - their hair, their scent, their skin. The way one loved to eat fresh red berries, the way another was able to leap to leave a mark at the height of an adult on the wall of bright ochre. The two that could not be named, as they were too young. Ah, all those bright sparks.
Kuskurr hesitated "The word did not come right."
"Pala, Udur, Kuskinn, Rurrka -" He counted off six names in total.
"How did you come to have so many?"
"Who do the other men have?"
Eventually, he came to realise what they were asking.
"The tribe has nine children. There are four women who have grown large like the moon. There are two women who have not, they are sun mothers. There are seven men. Some tribes have people who are not women or men, or who are both, but we have only those I said, we are not very big. We hope for more. Then there are the named ones who are not yet old enough to bear children, there are four of those. Oh, how much energy they have!"
"How do you know that these…nine…children are yours?"
"They are mine," said Kuskurr, slightly disgusted "They are mine."
"They are also Brag's," said Kuskurr, his thick brows touching one another in the middle.
"You said Brag does not speak and does not like touch? But you do what he says? Is he the chief?"
"I do not understand? He is their father. They are his, and mine," said the brown man "I do what Brag says when it comes to grinding grain. He is very fast. He knows when to make it so it lasts longer. What is a chief?"
"Who is the mother of the first three children?"
"Pala, Udur, Kuskinn, Rurrka? All the children are mine, and theirs."
It stalled, to an extent. For a little while. Kuskurr was too angry to respond. The interviewers sounded very much like the sort of people who…were like Turkat.
"Ida is a sun mother, she has a nice smile. Even with one tooth gone, for the disease, so that she could be fed while rigid," gestured Kuskurr "She is the good friend of Pala, so when Pala could not sleep because her babe had the fever, Ida took the child and held them so they could breathe. I like Ida. Pala, I do not like. But Pala is a useful...person in a tribe. Ida does not like me, but she likes Pala. They are together all the time."
"So Pala's child, you are not his father?" asked the modern person.
"Pala's child is my child. I am their sun father."
They eventually explained how their own modern arrangements worked, and Kuskurr said, aghast "But that leaves only the moon parents to do everything! How can they do it night, after night? When do they get to sleep for enough time?"
"We call it a nuclear family."
"This nuclear family must be very tired," observed Kuskurr "The mothers cannot be safe, a mother alone will be so tired her mind will make monsters. And it is so easy to stop it - you should make sure it stops. Why do you not have sun parents?!"
"What if someone does not want to be a…sun parent, or hunt, or teach things?" asked one of the researchers.
"If you want things from others, be in the tribe. Brag does not like the little ones, or being near them, so he brings food for the sun parents. Lafun has one leg and is very weak, so Lafun tells stories for us. Ida likes the little ones, and we feed her." Kuskurr pauses "But…there was…Turkat."
"Turkat - you've mentioned him before?"
"Yes. Turkat the Hunter. He was a good hunter. Very tall. But he wanted to eat first, every time. He wanted the women to be with him. And he would keep the nicest things for himself, until he could carry no more. He always ate more than he needed. He did not let the weak eat first. He was stronger than everyone else," said Kuskurr "He was very handsome."
"You say was…" prompted the researcher.
"One morning, Turkat was dead," said Kuskurr. It was two days after Turkat had taken a soft pelt away from Lafun, and Lafun had been chilled at night.
"Why? Wasn't he stronger than the rest of you?"
"Not stronger than Pala, while asleep." Kuskurr's voice was flat "I think you would call him a 'billionaire'."
He was brought back, but once they taught him where he was, he asked to be returned. He did tell them they should send the billionaires with him.
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