Kulia

Kulia was a peculiar Norn. He had spiny hair that covered his head, and continued down his back and he also had a hairless tail and he had sharp fingers and toenails, and his face was pointier than a normal Norn, but he wasn't ugly. He had strength that only a Grendel could match. Even though, he was very gentle and shy. All the Norns had respect for him, because he was the only one capable of fighting off the Grendel, who usually went away much worse for the wear. Kulia was out in the garden, where he found his mate, Mina.

"When are you going to lay the egg?" he asked her.

Mina pulled a lemon off the vine. "Soon," she replied. "Mummy said I should be getting some rest and eat well. I'll make sure I lay the egg near the incubator so Mummy dosn't have to carry it so far."

That was one reason Kulia liked Mina. She was so considerate of others, even Mummy. "Did you ever try ants?" Kulia asked.

"Ants? Eew." Mina pulled a face.

"They're really good," Kulia said. He picked one up from the ground and handed it toward her. "Try it?"

"No, thanks," Mina pushed his hand away. She turned her face away when Kulia stuffed it in his mouth. "I think I'll go to the incubator now," said Mina. She walked to the teleporter and pushed the button. After a flash of white light, Mina was gone.

Kulia decided to head to the jungle area. He felt more at home there than anywhere else. Not that Albia was very big, it was just that Kulia liked it there. Along the way he passed the temple, where two females were talking.

"He looks like an echidna," Yvonne, a Purple Mountain Norn, said to her friend. "See? The hairless tail? And he doesn't even have teeth!"

Kulia reddened a little as he brushed by them. It was true that he was toothless, but he still could eat as fast as the others.

"What's an echidna?" Ada, a Banana Norn, asked.

"It's an odd animal that lives on Earth," replied Yvonne smartly.

Kulia continued a few steps until he was past them. In the jungle area there was a green cheese vendor. Kulia pushed it, and ate the cheese that came out. In Albia, there wasn't much yellow cheese. The only yellow cheese was the stuff that came from the refridgerator. Soon, he realized Mummy was beside him.

"Hello, Kulia," Mummy said.

"Hello. What is an echidna?"

"Where did you hear of that?"

"Yvonne was saying that I look like one."

"An echidna is an egg laying mammal that lives in Australia. That's on Earth. And they are very prickly."

"Like me?"

"Yes, they look like you."

"And what is a mammal?"

"It creates milk to feed its young," replied Mummy. "And yes, that cow in the garden is also a mammal, but it doesn't lay eggs."

"Doesn't lay eggs?" Kulia asked, surprised. "Then how do they have kids?"

"Oh, Kulia, they are born. It's just like a Norn, but without the shell."

"Oh, and speaking of eggs, Mina is going to lay one."

"I know," said Mummy. "She just laid it. I'm going to check on her now." Mummy tickled Kulia, and went up into the vines and disappeared.

Strange, the things that lived on Earth. Kulia wondered what all lived there. He wondered sometimes what it would be like to go there.

Kulia watched as the submarine came to the dock, as it did. Usually it was empty, but now there was something else. "Yvonne! Ada!" Kulia called back to the girl Norns. "The Grendel is here! Go to the treehouse!"

Ada and Yvonne obeyed. They pushed the call button, and ascended in the lift. It surprised Kulia that Ada was still by the organ grinder. (No, not a horrible device to mutilate, it was a musical thing.) Banana Norns had such a terrible habit of running off. Kulia watched as the Grendel came closer. Suddenly, Kulia had an idea. He ran past the Grendel, and when the beast lumbered over to him he quickly sent the sub off. Kulia watched as it went out of sight, with the Grendel inside.

"Hello, Kulia, you have a daughter!" Mummy came flying toward him.

"Great!" Kulia jumped for joy. "Mummy, can you get the forcefield and put it here? The Grendel came in the sub. I managed to send him away, though."

"Good job, Kulia!" Mummy tickled him. "Thank you!" If it weren't for you, we would have a lot more sick Norns than we do. And guess what? You will never, ever have to worry about the Grendel again! I found a COB that will get rid of him for good!"

"Yippee!" said Kulia joyfully. "What's my daughter's name?"

"I havn't decided yet. Why don't you name her?"

"Me? But don't you do that?" Kulia asked.

"Yes, but so can you."

Kulia thought a while. "I don't know any good names," he said at last. "The only ones I know are used."

"Here," Mummy handed him a book. "It's a name book. And why don't you take a look at her before you name her?"

"Okay!" replied Kulia. "Where is she?"

"By the incubator."

Mummy had scarcely finished speaking when Kulia ran off to see her. He found her by the stove, playing with the ball. Mina lay close, asleep.

"She knows the basic words," said Mummy.

Kulia walked beside her and kissed her. He was surprised when sharp prickles met his mouth. She looked a lot like him, but her fur was lighter colored, more yellow.

"Hello," said Kulia.

"Daddy," said the baby happily. She hugged him, though she was much smaller. Kulia was also surprised when he felt how strong she was. Kulia glanced at his book, which was open to the R section. He saw a name that was perfect. "Her name is Rebecca," he told Mummy.

"Rebecca. I like that," replied Mummy.

Mina stirred from her rest. "Isn't she pretty?" she asked. "She looks just like you!"

"She is," agreed Kulia.

"Kulia, I have something to tell you," said Mummy.

"What?"

"I will be leaving Albia shortly. Not for too long, don't worry. I have fixed the forcefields so that you adults can move them around and turn them on or off. That way you can keep the kids out of trouble." Mummy tickled Rebecca when she ate a cheese. "Take good care of Rebecca!"

"We will," promised Mina.

"And tickle her lots when she eats. About four times at once."

"Sure!" Mina gave her daughter a hug.

"Good bye!" said Mummy. Kulia, Mina, and Rebecca watched as Mummy disappeared from sight.

Kulia walked to a feverfew vendor located by the end of the kitchen and the start of the garden and got a plant. He carried it back to Rebecca.

"What dat?" she asked.

"Feverfew," replied Kulia. "It's very good for you."

Rebecca snatched it away and ate it.

"Good!" Mina tickled her nose. Rebecca giggled happily.

"Rebecca plant," she declaired.

"I want a plant," corrected Mina.

"Rebecca want plant!"

"Kulia, fetch a feverfew, will you? She wants another."

Kulia got another. Rebecca played with it a moment, then ate it, She also ate a roll.

"Good!" Mina tickled her.

* * *

"Kulia!" A Norn named Sean came to him. She sounded worried. She was a pretty Norn, with a Horse Norn head, arms, and legs. Her tail was a Pixie tail. "Your daughter-"

"What? Is she okay?" Kulia asked.

"For now. She's trapped! I was turning off the forcefield, when the beam stuck. The frame will move, but the beam won't! It won't move!"

"Oh, no!" moaned Kulia. "Where's Mina?"

"She's with Rebecca, trying to calm her down. Hurry!"

Kulia and Sean ran all the way to Rebecca. She was in the caves, in between the leftmost wall and the lift. The only thing that separated her from the lift was a blue vertical beam with no frame that was a little taller than an adult Norn. Fortunately, there was plently of food in with her. She was still happy, playing with a ball.

"Rebecca," said Kulia.

"Daddy!" Rebecca tried to get to him, but ran into the beam. It didn't hurt, of course.

"How will we get her out?" Mina asked Kulia.

"I don't know," replied Kulia. He tried to move the beam, but he couldn't. "It's stuck."

"I'm going to play the harp," said Sean. "I'll try to think of something." Sean ascended the lift into the music room.

"There's only one way I know of to get rid of the beam," said Kulia. "And only Mummy can do it."

"And Mummy is gone," Mina started to cry. "Poor Rebecca!"

"Mina, there's got to be a way."

Soon, Asti, Ada's mate, came. "What's wrong?"

"Rebecca's stuck!" cried Mina.

Asti put his hand to the beam and sighed "She's really trapped.

"I wish Mummy was here," said Mina. "Mummy could get her out."

They all tried to think of ways to get Rebecca free, but it soon became apparent that there was no way to rescue her. They could only hope that Mummy would return soon. Asti had wandered off, and Sean was up with the bees. Kulia and Mina sat alone, wondering what was to become of Rebecca.

* * *

"Kulia? What are you doing?" Mina asked.

Kulia was fiddling with a bunch of wires and gadgets in the jungle he had accumulated. For hours, he nor Mina had slept. "I don't know," he replied. "Trying to make something to help Rebecca, I suppose." He pushed a blue wire through a hole in a piece of metal. "I'm hoping it'll work."

Mina nodded. "Rebecca still has enough food to last a while."

"Good." Kulia wound wires around a dowel. Bored with the surroundings, he carried the mess of junk to the garden. Suddenly, he tripped into the teleporter and accidentaly pushed the button grabbing it while trying to catch his balance. He reappeared, but not by the familiar computer. He was in a room, with white walls and something soft and blue under his feet. Another thing that threw him for a loop was the fact that it was so wide. There was left and right, but also forward and backward! Kulia stumbled a while, trying to get used to this strange thing. Finally, he could walk straight. He looked around, and saw something. A button? He flipped it up, and a light turned on. He flipped it down, and it turned off. Where was he, anyway?

"Mina?" he called. "Mina!"

Suddenly, he heard a voice like none he had heard in his life. "What's with that game? Did somebody turn the volume up?"

Soon, something--a shee? came into the room. It wasn't what Kulia had imagined the Shee like at all. It was tall, taller than him. He did expect that much from a shee. He could only come up to its waist. But, it had brown hair that came down to the shoulders. "Who are you?" Kulia asked. "Are you a Shee?"

"A Shee? No! I'm a human!" the thing replied. "But how did you get here, Kulia?"

"You know my name?"

"I'm Mummy!"

"You--but you don't look like Mummy!"

"That's because I don't look in Albia the same as I do here. How did you get here?"

"I teleported in the teleporter," replied Kulia. "Mummy! You have to come back to Albia! Rebecca needs your help! She's stuck!"

"How so?"

"The forcefield. The beam stuck."

"Well, come with me, Kulia, and I will help Rebecca." Mummy led Kulia by the hand into a room where there was a computer. It was different than Albian computers. Mummy pushed a small button on the monitor and the screen came on. Kulia realized he was looking at Albia--from Mummy's point of view. Everything was smaller, and he could recognize all of the Norns. Mummy did something, and the view switched to Rebecca.

"Just a minute, Mina, and I'll have her out," Mummy typed onto a keyboard. Kulia watched as Mummy in Albia went to the top of the screen and brought up a picture. She clicked an another part, and selected something, and pushed a button. Instantly, the beam disappeared and Rebecca was free!

"Thank you, Mummy," said Kulia. "Mina! Hello!"

"She can't hear or see you here," said Mummy. "Do you want me to tell her something?"

"Tell her that I found Mummy on Earth," replied Kulia.

"Earth? How did you get to Earth?" Mina asked from the screen.

"Kulia had an accident with the teleporter. I'll try to get him back soon," Mummy typed it. Kulia watched as she did more stuff. "I think I'll fix the teleporter back to what it was," Mummy turned to Kulia. "So, nothing like that will happen again."

"Thank you," said Kulia. "And can you put me back in Albia?"

"I don't know if I can," said Mummy. "You just appeared here--like that. I don't know how to get you back in there. For some reason, you became real--alive."

"But wasn't I alive before?"

"Yes, but in a different way. Then, I could look at what was going on inside you, because you were alive in a way the computer could understand. Now, you switched to a form of alive that lives on Earth. It's very different than what lives in Albia."

"How different?"

"I can't explain it. I didn't create Norns, so I don't know."

"The Shee created Norns."

"Kulia, there never was any such thing as the Shee," Mummy looked him in the eye. "I am the closest thing you can get."

"What? You mean you have been lying?"

"Yes, in a way. Like I said, humans are the closest thing you can get to a Shee. Once, on a motel balcony in Winthrop, Washington, somebody got the idea to create life that could live on a computer. Thus, they created Norns, and Albia for the Norns to live in. If you like, the humans may be considered Shee."

"Why did they create Norns and Albia?"

"Because they wanted to," Mummy sighed. "Kulia, I don't have the answers to everything, okay? I just know a lot about Albia. Some people can change Norns, they can make them neat colored, but I don't."

"They can change them? What do they do to them?"

"They can make them better behaved. Or make them look different."

"Did you do that to me?"

"Yes, I did. But other than that, I never meddle. It just isn't right. And besides, you are a very handsome Norn. And a Grendel slayer."

"Grendel slayer," Kulia echoed. "I just protect the Norns, that's all."

"And I am very proud of you." Mummy reached over and smoothed his hair. "And when you go back, let's not tell everyone about the Shee. They will find out, in time, but now isn't it."

"How do you usually get Norns in Albia?" Kulia asked.

"I import them. And sometimes, if they are very sick, I export them and take them to an alternate Albia, where they can get better."

"So that's why Mina disappeared when she had whooping cough."

"Yes, that's why. She was very sick for a while."

"Do you think importing me would work?" Kulia asked. Now, he was about ready to try anything.

"I'll try," replied Mummy. She selected "Import Creature" from a pulldown menu. Soon, she saw Kulia's name. "Looks like it's your lucky day," Mummy squeezed his hand.

"Well, get on with it!" Kulia tapped his foot.

Suddenly, Kulia was by the incubator in Albia. Mummy, in her Albian form was beside him. "Rebecca is by the temple-"

Kulia ran toward his daughter, who by now was a child.

"Hello, Daddy," she said.

"Hello, Rebecca. Did you miss me?"

"Mm-hmm! While I was trapped, I ate lots of grubs. They were so yummy!"

"I'll bet they were!" Kulia tickled her.

"Kulia! I was worried! When you disappeared into the teleporter, I thought you were gone for good! I couldn't find you anywhere!" Mina threw herself into his arms. "And then I found out you were on Earth. What is it like?"

"I didn't see much," replied Kulia. "But, that's okay. I'd rather live in Albia with you fifteen hours than live on Earth for eighty years!"

Author´s note:

Echidna Norns do not exist. They were made up for the story. Anyone interested in making them please contact me at DesertHedgehog@aol.com.

Echidna is pronounced e-KID-na, not e-CHID-na. By the way, Kulia is Australian Aboriginie for echidna.