Hera punched in a deactivation code, and the rumbling machine ceased operation. The hot metal at the base contracted and dinged as it cooled. "Could you hand me that map there, please."

Soal got up, walked over, and came back with the map in hand. As Soal mentioned, Earth was within a couple of miles reach of its orbit field. "I'm glad you warned me before we got any closer.Maybe now, you could keep an eye on the map and monitors for a few more hours. Just until Earth aligns with its orbit field."

"What are you going to do?"

"Stay with Eva for a little while. You know how many years I had waited to see her again."

Soal's back turned. "Yeah. It's one of the reason's you originally joined NASA in the first place. Yet, you weren't able to communicate more than what you had been."

"About that..." Soal turned back around upon hearing the sheepish tone in Hera's voice. "I was officially able to talk to Eva more. I was able to communicate with her, often on my lunch breaks, when the control room was vacant."

Soal slowly shook her head. "No wonder there was a coffee mug left over in there with cold, black coffee still left inside of it."

"Me and my forgetfulness. I guess I always had a cup of black coffee with me to toughen my senses so that I wouldn't start sobbing in front of Eva. You know though... Now that I'm thinking about it... I always had a cup of steaming, black coffee in front of me every time I spoke to Eva. It was my thing to keep me from getting all emotional."

"No. Correction. You had a cup with you constantly. Even when you weren't speaking with Eva."

"Oh."

"But, after knowing you since you came to NASA, I saw how many emotional struggles you had. If I can remember correctly, I think for a short period of time, you were diagnosed with depression."

"That's right. That's why I started drinking black coffee. The bitter taste washed everything emotional from mind."

"I noticed you picked it back up a little bit after Eva and Ground 2 disappeared into the alternate reality."

Hera sighed. "I guess it's one of those things that you can't help reverting back to when something depressing happens. Again. But I can't complain. Black coffee is the best type of bitterness to knock back."

Soal smiled before turning to face the screens. "Enjoy some quiet time with your sister. I bet you'll be facing a large crowd within a few hours."

» » » »

Hera turned a corner, the workshop door wide open. Eva was passed out on the futon. her chest rose and fell with soft breaths. Hera stepped inside, removing her boots so that her shuffling steps were quieter. She gently nudged Eva forward and curled herself behind Eva.

It was weird for Hera to think that she was three inches taller than her 5.5 sister. Hardly any of their characteristics matched. Their eyes, hair color, and body types varied greatly from one another. Hera's eyes were green. Eva's were a true hazel. Hera was a brunette while Eva was an auburn. When it came to female figure, Hera was slender boned without much hip, whereas Eva was all pow! The only thing that gave them away as sisters was the facial structure and speech pattern. They both had the T-shaped jaw, crooked nose, wide eyes, and thin-lipped smile. Their speech and sense of humor were scarily similar.

Hera half laughed as she thought about it.

Eva wrestled herself from her slumber. She gingerly turned herself over until - whether she really knew it or not - she was face to face with Hera. Eva's eyes, heavy with sleep, were only partially open to take in Hera's face.

"When did you settle in beside me?"

"About a minute ago. I thought about putting the futon down, but I didn't want to disturb you."

"You don't have to worry about disturbing me. Why don't you go ahead and put the back of the futon down. There'd be more room for each of us."

"Yeah. That's what I figured, and that's why I didn't want to disturb you."

Eva slowly nodded her head. Her eyes closed and she went back to sleep.

Hera removed herself from behind Eva, and scooched the futon away from the wall. Then, unhooking some of the wooden joints, she lay the back out.

Laying flat-backed on the futon, next to Eva, that's when an indescribable urge to sleep called her. After all those years of depression consumed evenings and caffeinated nights, the longing finally caught up with here.

Eva groaned in pain as she turned over on her side. Hera swung an arm around Eva and put pressure on the spot. Eva instantly settled.

Hera's world cascaded into a dream.

» » » »

Soal shook Hera awake. Hera raised her watch to her face. It was 1 p.m. on a Saturday. Looking to her side, there was no Eva. Hera's eyes went back to looking at Soal's. "Did I really just sleep for an entire day?" Hera asked without even mentioning a good afternoon.

"Yes. I wanted to let you know, though, that we had just entered orbit. The Earth is resetting back into its natural cycles. Twenty-four-hour rotation and a diagonal slant for seasons."

Hera rose, kicking her legs off the side, and wiped her groggy face with a hand. "Good. Any abnormalities?"

"All is good at the moment."

Hera slowly nodded. "Where did Eva go?"

Soal crouched to look at Hera directly. "I knew you would ask that." Soal paused for a whole minute. During that time, she gazed up at Hera with conflicting expressions threatening to overtake her facial features. Finally, she sighed and let it all pour out. "She's at the hospital. They found an infection eating away at one of her ribs."