---

Lumina sat down among the other leaders of Ground 1. Stating her case was not enough when settled in the courtroom. Now she had to restated everything in front of the leaders of Ground 1. At least she was thankful Soal was by her side, ready to help stake Lumina's claim.

Heavy perspiration drenched Lumina's back as she sat in a stiff-back, oak chair. Papers were, once, neatly lined inside of a folder. But after being crushed in her clammy palm for almost an hour, most of the text had bled and shriveled onto the other documents.

"Now. Lumina Si," called one of the co-leaders. "Please rise and restate your case on the return of Ground 2."

Lumina, still dressed in her greasy T-shirt and jeans rose before everyone to practically repeat what she had said in the courthouse a couple of months ago. Everyone seemed to remember the rain drenched woman flopping her damp train on the courtroom floor. It was the same woman who somehow grappled pity from the judge, Timothy, and even the jury, with her tear-stained love for Ground 2.

But, unlike that time, Lumina had no anger or tears left. It was just an empty inside, and a crumbling outer shell. All she had left was her voice, hard as stone and weighted with unending truths and elaborate words.

Lumina bowed deeply, then seized the opportunity to weigh down the audience with poetic, narrative words. Her thoughts flowed smoothly from her mouth. Not a lie was conceived, for the truths of her heat bore her fruit.

---

Lumina's head craned to look at the grey sky. Tears and raindrops flowed off her cheeks. She tugged at the limp rope connected to her body harness. After a minute, nothing happened. So, throwing the scrubber in the mucky water and covering the pail over, Lumina began to climb the sides, the rope used as a hoist.

She managed to clamber up the slick walls and over the side of the opening. She emptied the murky water over DESTINY's edge, and watched as it splashed down on the surface below. Lumina shed her harness. then, after a period of time where her clothes were drooping with an excess of water held in their threads, hurried down the ladder and into the building.

Everything sloshed as Lumina walked, making her way to a dressing room. In one of the stalls she found a neatly folded bundle of clothes with a card on top, that read: I thought you might need these. I'll be down in the workshop when you're done. - S

Lumina pried all of the sopping clothes from her skin. She toweled herself off, then pulled on the fresh jeans and Ground 1 Tee. She didn't bother with pulling on some sneakers before leaving. So, she just walked barefoot all the way to the workshop.

There was the silent creak of the door, and then it's snapping shut. Soal glanced over her shoulder. Lumina gave her a cross look.

"What is it, Hera?" Soal asked, concern hinted in her voice.

"Thanks for leaving me in the rain, Dienze."

"I tried to tug you up, but your limp, sleeping form was too heavy. I tried to get you up, but you were clean out. I also figure you wouldn't mind a little drizzle at the time - it certainly got you up - but I couldn't help but let you sleep. I mean, you haven't slept for a good two or three days because you were so caught up with your work. Today was the first day you'd given in, and I didn't want to interrupt that."

There were too many words for Lumina to process. So, she just forgave Soal. Gee, I really am tired, Lumina thought. "What'chya doing there?" Lumina pointed.

"Hopefully finishing the code to overwrite DESTINY's programming."

"You need any help?"

"No. How about you get some more rest, Hera?"

"It's going to be a long night."

Soal made it a point to give Lumina an expressionless stare.

"Okay. I'll maintain focus on my beauty rest." Lumina shifted so that she directed her body to the futon. Upon laying down, she cast one more glance at Soal and Soal's back before letting her eyes close and her senses drift to a dream.

---

Lumina's lips parted from the flesh of Eva's forehead. Eva glanced up at Lumina, her palm coming up to cup the flesh of Lumina's cheek in her hand.

"It's really you," Eva said. "This isn't a dream."

"Yes... Yes, I'm here, Lumina said, grabbing the fabric on her sister's shoulder, adjusting her hand over the span of her sister's back, and continually clawing handfuls of fabric. Oh gosh. You're real too, Lumina thought, joy leaking from her cracked heart. An aching began at the back of her throat. She wanted to cry, but held it back. "You're alive!"

"And so are you!" Eva cried.

Lumina buried her head on Eva's shoulder. "I can't believe it."

Lumina removed her head from where it lay and looked at Eva. "You're here. Safe and sound."

Eva placed a hand on Lumina's forearm. "And so are you, little sis."

Eva's head sunk onto Lumina's shoulder. "How could it be, that you are here?"

---

Hera lay on the futon with Eva. She combed her fingers through Eva's long locks. Simply, she separated different strands of hair into three strips and started weaving them into a braid. A soft smile curled Hera's lips. "I remember doing this when we were kids," Hera whispered in Eva's ear.

Eva shook with quaking breaths. Hera removed her hand from Eva's hair and wrapped her arm around where Eva's stomach met her chest. her one rib bothered her, most, there, and when Eva shook, Hera knew she needed to settle some pressure on that spot.

Eva settled a cold hand on Hera's forearm. "Thank-you."

"There's no need. I'll always be here for you, and so will your husband if you ever marry."

"That's not going to happen."

Hera thought this was funny. She swallowed the thick of her saliva. "Eva. Do you remember being in the alternate universe?"

"Barely," she replied, shaking her head. "It's all kind of faded in the background like it was nothing but a silly dream."

"Hera shoved a hand into her jean pocket and removed her Holo. She turned it on and tapped an icon or two before stumbling on the transmission sent to her more than two years ago.

Eva started to shake again. Hera clutched Eva tighter. "You got to stop pushing your injury." Hera smiled. "But, here," Hera said, passing the Holo to Eva, "remember sending this?"

Eva's eyes scanned the screen. She began to quake against Hera. Hera wrapped her other arm around Eva. But she soon realized that it wasn't Eva's rib cage. Hera's big sister was crying.

Hera lay her head on Eva's shoulder and held her tight, gently rocking her like a baby.

Through some tears and sniffles, Eva was able to speak to Hera. "Oh Hera. I don't even know why I sent this. All of this was just a..." Eva lay her head down in the crook of Hera's arm and wept.

Hera's lips found the top of Eva's head. "Alternate," Hera finished Eva's sentence.

"Yes."

Hera wrapped her arms tighter around her sister. "I'm glad you sent it. It gave me incentive to get you back home. Even if it did take two years."

"You're a good sister, Hera. I love you."

Hera rested her head on Eva's shoulder. "I love you too, big sis. I always will, no matter how often we may squabble."

"Hera!" Soal cried from the hall. "Hera! Where are you?"

Hera gently removed herself from Eva, and got up off the futon to greet a frantic Soal. Soal, if she hadn't slowed for the corner, would've plowed right into Hera, but caught herself from doing so.

Soal took a large gulp of air before continuing. "We've neared the orbit field.

Hera looked like she was just about ready to have a heart attack. "What!? It's only been a little over forty-eight hours!"

"I know. We arrived fairly quickly."

"You're telling me."