August 24th, 2149 to August 24th, 2150 flashed before Lumina's eyes. She collapsed to the metal floor, her eyes snapping shut, a bout of dizziness coming over her. Her mouth pocketed open, her conscience slowly slipping away from her, Soal's cries of concern deafening in her ears.

- August 25th -

Lumina stared, distantly, at the flowing crimson ribbon, the gold stitched letters reflecting the dim sunlight into her eyes. She closed her eyes to see the green and purple squiggles that lay behind her eyelids. The squiggles skittered across her vision, morphing into half circles, zig-zags, and - after Lumina lay back onto the grass, exhaustion overtaking her - events of the last few days.

Lumina yawned, taking in the relaxed feeling sleep puts you into. Soon, she was out - her arm curled under her head, her fingers intertwined with her hair, her nose nuzzled into the crook of her arm.

Her father appeared.

Lumina was in the little cell again, her father looking behind him - Tom already exiting out the door - and winked at Lumina. The scene then shot to when she clambered out of NASA's base, Soal at her side. Lumina's father - tall, strong, his chin a perfectly chiseled edge, thick eyebrows standing sentinel just above his glittering sky blue eyes, upper lip tucked tightly underneath the bottom - watched the road carefully. A thick crowd of people had gathered around the NASA base, possibly wondering what that rumbling, or neon orange burst was. A man in black, thick rimmed sunglasses - a reporter - strode over, a microphone in hand and a camera man at his back, to Lumina. His smile seemed forcefully stuck onto his face as he neared, his deeper intentions only visible by the way he walked. Lumina frowned at the sight of him.

"Hello!" he said, his voice soft, innocent of what really lurked deep inside. "Would you mind me asking what had really gone on here today?"

Lumina put her words kindly, but with an edge that amplified her not wanting to do so. "No thank - you."

"Just a few. Nobody has been willing to disperse any information. Though, it doesn't seem like it's something secretive. Everyone knew there has been something going on at NASA here."

Lumina quickly glanced at the man's notepad. There was stuff scrawled onto the paper, and it wasn't old news.

Lumina smirked, folding her arms in on each other. "Kindly, I say no. It seems like you already have what you need, and you're just here to rile me about what happened just to get on my nerves."

The guy stepped backwards, his hand to his collar bone, shocked. Then, with a frown and a hiss of contempt, stomped off to some other person that was part of the incident.

Lumina shook her head, her gaze returning to her father. Her father's eyes locked on hers. He smiled at her.

Lumina walked over. When close, she buried her face into her father's shoulder. Her father stroked her hair; a comforting motion, realizing that Lumina had lost something she loved that morning.

There was no need for words to see what Lumina was going through. And there was no saying that her father never loved her.

It was just Soal Myda Si.

- December 22nd -

Lumina rolled over on the couch. Her face contorted into a grimace, her eyes squeezed tight. Her hand went to her back. She rubbed at her spine.

"Sleep in a funny position?" Soal asked. Her fingers tapped at the key of the LapPad, nonstop.

"I suppose so." Lumina rolled onto her back. The futon creaked, and a board nudged her, harshly, in the painful spot on her back. Lumina quickly rolled off the futon, pain spilling from her mouth. "No," she choked. "A board punctured me rather nicely in the back as I slept."

"Um... Sounds comfortable." Soal continued tapping at the keys. "You should fix that before you lay down on it again tonight."

Lumina growled. "I know, but I just need to focus on project ALTERNATE tonight. I don't have time for a stupid loose board."

Soal finished tapping at the keys. Spinning around in the chair, she jumped to her feet, grabbed her dark brown trench coat - two fingers, the coat slumped over her shoulder, the tail of the coat swaying just above her calf. "Well, I better get back to the office. There are some decisions to be made regarding Ground 2."

"What about?"

"If we should even allow them back, if we ever get that half to return from the alternate universe."

"Please sway them into allowing Ground 2 back," Lumina pleaded, her eyes hinting at tears, the thought that people on Ground 1 don't even want the Earth to be whole again burning in her mind. "For Eva."

Soal nodded. "Whatever it takes. I will. I know."

- May 1st -

Lumina brushed off her overly expensive coat. Before a judge and a jury, it was a requirement now. The coat was silk, the cuffs and collar - that raised a little above her chin - were actual leather and the bottom edge that dragged across the ground was made of a shiny, sheer satin. It was lavishly draped over her white T-shirt and jeans; zipped from her thighs up to her collar bone.

It was a soggy, humid, 80° day outside. Of course, it was not comfortable to be wearing the robe although it was made up a light material. The tail of the coat was drenched. A puddle was left on the courthouse's marble tiled floors after Lumina wrung it out.

Lumina draped the dripping wet tail over her forearm. Water marks trailed from the puddle to the large oak doors belonging to Ground 1's grand courtroom. Lumina pushed open the doors, entering the decked-out room, interrupting the session. The doors slowly creaked shut behind her.

The walls of the room were painted in a cream color. The desks, judges podium, and witness stand were a dark, stained cedar. The seal of Ground 1 - red lava streaked from the jagged edge of half of an orb - was encased in gold and displayed on the front of the judge's podium. The jury sat at the side on steel bleachers - the less elegant part of the room. Onlookers and witnesses sat in chairs in the middle of the room.

The judge looked at Lumina with stern, curious eyes. He held his mallet in one hand, his other was curled into a tight first. He was balding - the few curly wisps of his hair were gray in color, he wore small, rounded glasses with thick black rims - it was quite unbelievable that he could see through such small lenses, and the deep wrinkles at the corner of his mouth and eyes hinted at his age.

Lumina dropped the wet tail of her coat. It landed on the stained, wooden floor with a squishy thud. She gave a slight, respectful bow, and found a seat beside Soal. She loudly dropped her legal pad and pen onto the desk in front of her.

Soal leaned over and whispered to Lumina. "What's with the big scene?"

"Sorry. That wasn't on purpose." Lumina tugged at the leather collar, her sweat collecting on its surface. "I'm just hot, sweaty -" Lumina swallowed. "- and frustrated with the whole ordeal."

Underneath the table, Soal tugged her leather cuff. "Understandable, but that's quite disrespectful."

Lumina sighed, her frustration echoing throughout the silent courtroom. Everyone stared. The judge glared, his hawk-like nose pointed down at her. Lumina bowed her head, her eyes quickly retreating to her thumb's fingernail picking at her other thumb's cuticle.

The judge cleared his throat. "Hera Si. Would you like to come up to the witness stand and plead your case so that you may leave?"

Lumina's expression hardened, her eyebrows knitting, her mouth forming a firm line. She rose from her still cold seat, tucked a folder beneath her arm, and walked towards the witness stand, all eyes upon her. She sat in a leather desk chair and crossed her legs, laying the folder open on her lap. She looked up to face the staring crowd.

Soal's eyes were the only ones looking away.

Again, the judge cleared his throat.

"Hera Lumina Si. You were hereby called to the court hearing today on the basis of Ground 2. Most of the citizen here on Ground 1 disagree with the idea that there is still a thriving Ground 2. As you have stated, the text from your sister proves that there is too much of a gap. Most life could already be... gone."

"That's not true! Every year for them is about five for us. Think about this your honor: my sister was only 40 when Ground 2 disappeared in that alternate dimension."

"Yes. But have you ever thought about the conditions there. You say you only had one massive oxygen cylinder. That was your only oxygen supply, and yet, they punctured a hole into it. Releasing all of the oxygen that was inside."

"We knew the risks, but I understand what you're getting at. If it's already been five years, I have no doubt that they are still alive and thriving off of something."

"But what if... let's say... five years just flew by. Like travelling into lightspeed."

Lumina curled her hand around her index finger. Squeezed. It could be that they're stuck in an alternate dimension where they can thrive, or... the other."

The judge held his fist in his hand. The mallet lay at his side. He looked down at Lumina, his face, this time, showing genuine concern. He softly asked her, "What is your main purpose for bringing Ground 2 back?"

Lumina rose from her seat, her folder spilling onto the floor, the several documents within it flooding out. She looked up at the judge who, in turn, nodded at her to continue. Then, with a slight bow of her head, turned to the jury. She fiddle with her coat's collar, but then stopped, a courage igniting from deep inside. "As you all know, I was the leader of Ground 2. I listened to my people, and took in their concerns. Especially of those who beat me with false accusations."

Lumina took a breath.

"Most of the people wished to be back home, here, on a whole Earth. Those who accused me, I could tell, wanted the same thing. We wished to be back, reunited, with our loved ones."

Tears started to stream down Lumina's face. Her hand went to her open, sobbing mouth. The courtroom started to grow noisy. The judge's mallet thundered.

The room settled.

The judge looked down at Lumina. Then, back to the courtroom. With another loud smack of his mallet, the judge sympathetically declared, "Ground 2 is going to be welcomed back. All charges against it are to be dropped."

Lumina looked up at the judge with wet, glistening eyes. She uttered a "Thank-you" and smiled.

The judge smiled back.

Soal beamed.

- May 15th -

Lumina strode - hands curled inside of her khaki short pockets - along the overcrowded sidewalk. Her right hand tightly gripped the Holo inside of her pocket. Her teeth, although warm, chattered. Her eyes, cast upon the heated slabs of concrete, where distant as her mind escaped to a realm unknown by reality.

A cavernous pit engulfed her and then a rainbow of colors were passing before her eyes. Soon, a white light bleached her retina. There was nothing to see for several long minutes. But then a darkness cast itself over her; a rich, dark gloom.

Lumina raised her palms out in front of her. Her fingers came into contact with a soft, cotton material. Her fingers curled around it, snatching it up in her grasp, and tugged. The black text seemingly plastered into the middle.

Lumina's chin caught on her chest.

HLS : ARE YOU ALRIGHT? 3:50 P.M.

HLS: ARE YOU THERE? PLEASE ANSWER! 5:00 P.M.

EES: HERA. TIME'S UP. I LOVE YOU. GOODBYE. SAT MAY 24th, 2050

Colors flooded Lumina's vision, her steps reversing out of that pit. her pupils dilated, her heart stopped, she inhaled a breath, but didn't release it. The toe of her sneaker thudded against an uneven piece of sidewalk. Her body collapsed, her hands fell from her pockets, breaking some of her fall. A cracking sound erupted into her ears. The glass digging into the palm of her right hand told her what it was without her having to look down.

Lumina's pupils shrank, her breath exhaling along with a faint sigh. her heart began to drum against her rib cage again, the pain in her hand intensifying with every thumping beat.

Lumina planted her cheek against the hot concrete of the sidewalk.

Brown, square toe dress shoes stopped in front of Lumina, blue dress pants neatly draped over the laces, but the back of the cuff caught under the heels.

"Are you alright Hera?" the man asked.

Lumina craned her neck so that she could look at the man. Her eyes caught on the man's grayish blue eyes that peeked out through thickly rimmed, but tiny rounded spectacles. Lumina smiled, her uninjured hand clasping his outstretched one.

He yanked her up.

"Judge Timothy," Lumina said, surprised.

"Please. You may call me Tim," he replied his hand upon his chest, head bowed, and a small humbled smile upon his lips.

"What might you have been doing lain out upon this bustling sidewalk like that my child?"

Lumina placed a hand to her forehead, forcing away a slight bout of lightheadedness. "My mind kind of slipped away from me as I was walking, leading me to trip and fall. Then, on top of that, my Holo cracked, shards digging into my palm, making it hard to get myself back up."

"Oh dear. Is your hand alright?"

"Lumina looked down at it. Her palm eased open to reveal a deep gash torn into her flesh with glass shards embedded into it. Lumina grunted, looking away, her eyes squeezing shut.

Tim gently took Lumina's hand into his worn one - bluish green veins extending from the skin, darker patches of skin dotting the surface, and the bones of his fingers showing through his flesh, the muscle worn away from long years of hard labor.

"You should have some stitches," Tim said, eyeing her. He straightened. "Come along with me child. Let's take you to the hospital."

Lumina didn't refute his claim. She nodded her head, bobbing along after the older gentlemen through the warm, flatulent bodies.

With a sweep of his hand, Tim urged her towards a large, boat-like car. The front end sloped down from the bulbous windshield in a shiny, oval shaped grill. On each side of the grill peeked two clear slits that made up the headlights. The back end was so long that if the trunk was cut off, it could act as a truck bed. The bumper was thin, making it look as if there was no bumper at all. The taillights were drilled into the backside, and the reverse lights, little circles centered into the tail lights. The Lincoln symbol jutted out from the hover struts.

Lumina softly whistled. "Wow! This is far from what we drive at home!" Lumina turned to Tim.

Tim fiddled with the cuff of his sleeve a small smile on his lips and a twinkle bouncing around in his dark pupils. "You probably think it's hideous. I've been meaning to downsize to a smaller hover, but haven't gotten around to it."

Lumina laughed. "NO! That is not what I meant at all." Lumina bent down, her hand taking hold of the hover strut. The piece was solidly built, a grated metal making up most of it, and a magnesium alloy making up the rest. Little black tubes and wires trailed from the piece of machinery along the axle to the engine compartment. "This is a mechanics dream! A revolutionary feet of engineering."

Lumina's lips smashed together, her eyes catching on the tail end of the car. There was no exhaust pipe. Her fingers traced along the bottom edge of the hover strut, the tips slipping into a finger sized gap. She removed her hand from the strut, placing her fingers just below her nose, and sniffed. The gassy, oily, metallic smell of exhaust caught in her nostrils. "Amazing! They've also found a way to redirect the exhaust lines."

She turned around to find Tim gawking at her. She wiped her hand on her khaki's, grease stains streaked across the light material. Placing her hand in her pocket's she returned a sheepish smile.

"You know more than what I could ever learn about a hover. Say, what do you drive back on Ground 2?"

"Nothing like this, that's for sure," Lumina replied, pointing at Tim's hover. "I drive a classic. A 2000 Mustang, if you even know what type of car that is."

A smile curled onto Tim's lips. He put his thumb to his lip, his other finger curling beneath his chin, and responded. "I remember quite well. In fact, in 2090, I got that as my first antique auto-mo-beel. I was only 21 then, married to my lovely Sharol. We both enjoyed the drives we took in that car. They were mostly at sunset. Going along hilly, winding roads, watching the sun sink low in the sky, the moon, on certain nights, taking its place." Tears glistened in the poor man's eyes.

Lumina wrapped her arm around Tim, hugging him. He wrapped his arms around her, his shaky hands softly pressing against her shoulder blades. He slightly trembled in her embrace, but, remembering why Lumina was there with him drew him to back away from her and open the driver side of the Hover.

Tim smiled. "How about we get you fixed up now, child?"

Lumina looked down at the open wound on her palm. She nodded.

- June 17th -

Soal seemed to be looking gloomily out of the only barred window in her cell. Her hand was to her chin, her eyes upon the wall topped with barbed wire standing outside. She slowly blinked. Then, her eyes lazily followed the wall and its usual concrete block pattern. Thirty stacks of blocks, several messy lines of grout, nicks, and cracks. Her eyes traced the barbed wires laced through the thick metal bars of the entrance gate. Then, her vision zeroing in on a 5.8 woman behind the gate, quickly turned away from the window. Her teeth grit, her jaw tensing, and her eyebrows knit tightly together.

She turned back to the window, a deep scowl impressed upon her lips.

Soal watched the brunette's head bob along as she walked the pathway to the main entrance. The brunette flung the glass door open with considerable force and stepped inside.

Soal turned away again, her hands swooping into her armpits as she crossed her arms.

After two long minutes, there was a light tapping on the jail doors lock. Soal twisted around. Lumina stared in at her, the back of her green eyes lit with a raging fire.

Soal smirked.

Lumina spread her lips, revealing an ungrateful sneer. "What are you so happy about?"

"You really think that I don't know what's going on? Lumina. I'm still your mother. I know what's going through your head. Do you really think that I don't know that you're struggling with the loss of Ground 2? Especially your sister!?"

That struck a soft spot. Lumina put a hand to her chest, wincing, as if someone had punched her there. But then, after a small spurt of sniffles, aggression took over. Lumina's fingers snaked around the rails separating her and Soal. The fire in her eyes blazed brighter.

"No. Soal. You don't know me. I've found a flaw in your design and have found a way to reverse it. You can expect Ground 2 to be back with Ground 1 soon. As a whole!"

Soal inched up against the wall. "No!"

Lumina's smile spread to her blazing eyes. "YES!!!"

- August 24th -

Lumina's Holo glowed in front of her. A picture of Ground 2's stake fluttered on screen. A circle, continuously circling, lay at the corner of the gif. It has been ten minutes, and the gif still hasn't been sent to Eva. Lumina placed the Holo on sleep and pocketed it.

Lumina released a heavy sigh

With a slight crack of her knuckles and knees, she lifted herself from the spot in front of Ground 2's stake, and started walking away. A buzz in her pocket let her know the message was finally sent, but Lumina's face was still downcast.

It's already been a year since Ground 2's transportation, she thought. But today isn't the day to sulk. I need to get back and continue on my project.