The Hidden Terra

Prologue- A Wish Upon a Comet

"Morning Grams!" A high energetic voice spoke through the metal room as the sliding of doors sounded through the room behind the child.

The middle-aged lady sighed as she looked away from the clear window that showed a reddish smokey planet and turned to look at her granddaughter with tired worn eyes.

Upon seeing her grandchild's expecting gaze, her eyes quickly brightened as a grin formed on her lips. "Adri, does your mother know you that you're here?"

Seeing the girl squirm uncomfortably and push back her black wavy hair, Doria knew right away that this wild child came here without letting her parents know. Doria thought sadly of her daughter that grew up so quickly. It was as if yesterday she was telling stories to her daughter and now to her granddaughter. Doria looked backed to Adrina with a stern stare.

"Why aren't you leaving yet? You need to be preparing for your classes."

"....."

An exasperated sigh left Doria's lips as she combed her fingers through her graying blonde hair frustratingly. "I really don't want to fight your mother on this."

Adrina looked up with her blue-green begging but stubborn eyes that met her own older ones.

"If your mother asks, you'd better not abandon me to take the fall again. Deal?"

"Deal!" A giggle broke through as Adrina ran past her grandmother and jumped on her bed getting comfortable. "Grams come on! I only have like an hour before class starts."

Doria laughed at Adrina's impatience as she got closer to the bed. "I thought your mom was stubborn like her father but you've surpassed her."

"Mom is like gramps. And I'm like papa." Adrina gave her grandmother a cheeky smile while thinking of her papa who was probably comforting her mom knowing that she wasn't home.

"Alright. Now, what did you want to hear about?"

"The ocean," Adrina mumbled out.

Doria's shoulders slumped and she lay on the bed tiredly. "Adri, you have no mercy for this old lady. I've been telling you about the same thing over and over again."

"But grams, I'd rather listen to you than to Ms. Cole. I fall asleep during her class." Adrina protested as she jumped up shaking her grandmother.

"You fall asleep listening to me too." Doria raised her blue-green eyes at the whining child.

Adrina grumbled impatiently as she flopped face first on a pillow.

A few moments passed before Doria's eyes slowly closed her eyes as she remembered something. "My great-grandmother, your great-great-great grams, was a marine biologist. Sage Walker."

Adrina rolled onto her side listening to this new given information.

"Back when the Earth was healthy?"

"Yup. She would go around the earth researching and study certain organisms living in the ocean, such as dolphins ." Doria's time-worn eyes smiled while remembering the little bit of family history that was passed onto her.

"Dolphins?" Adrina's eyes brightened up hearing the foreign organism's name. They had no animals up on the Vitus. It was too much of a drain of resources. The last animals that were on the Vitus were used as food and that happened decades ago. People only saw the organisms in pictures on files at the labs.

"Yes Adri, dolphins." Doria chuckles before saying, " She met an archeologist while visiting Greece.That's where my last name Leos came from." Doria turned to Adrina grinning like an old knowing cat.

"Great-great-great gramps? So I'm Greek?"

Doria raised her eyebrows at her before getting lost in remembering Adrina's ancestors. "You're also Russian, Norwegian, Scotti- that's not the point. You wanted a story so be patient." She turned facing the window as Adrina followed her lead.

"Andreas Leos was fascinated by mythology. He called Sage his Pragma."

"Pragma?"

"Long-standing love."

"Was gramps your Pragma too?"

"He was."

"....." Adrina cast her eyes down.

Sensing something wrong, Doria looked from the window to Adrina. "What's gotten you so glum?"

Looking back to her grams, "I wish Earth was safe again. Then I can find my Pragma too."

"And why can't you find it here?"

Pouting her cheeks, "Everyone is so busy here going up the ladder. Learning to survive. Living to survive. Studying. I'm only 9 but at least I know that much. Plus most don't want anything to do with the daughter of the Major General of the Command Force Division." Just remembering the heated looks from some of the kids gets her sick to her stomach.

She feels empathetic to some of the kids' parents who were harshly judged and led to their punishments. However, it's not like she can do anything about it. All Adrina wants to do is run away. But there is no place to run. There is only this huge metal tin can that all descendants of survivors are living in.

Doria understood the child's feelings and saw the constricted look on her face that was consistently expressed on Adrina's mother.

When the Vitus was launched in 3204, everyone had the same status. Everyone was considered important personnel. The soldiers, engineers, doctors, leaders, pharmacologists, professors, dentists, seamstresses, chemists including many other types of scientists.

However, as years passed by many were professionally bullied into taking jobs that would make them expendable, but still required. By the time the group who was found guilty of corruption and blackmail happened, the class system was set in. Those who held onto their original positions were lucky and those who fell only hoped the better for their children but knew that a chain of crimes would start following the class system.

As resources were used, a stricter rationing system was set in. The nonessential personnel were easily executed while essential personnel would only be punished according to how much they are needed. Those under 18 who committed light crimes such as thievery, fights and were without essential skills were sent to labour divisions where they would work hard without whatever privileges they had before. Those who had heavy crimes like murder, rape, causing excess loss of resources, underground dealing, treason were immediately executed unless they were underage. Those that were underage would be put into prison by the Warden.

Doria remembered that after a few years her younger brother was born, a law was set in that every couple can have only one child. This controlled the population and would save resources.

She was happy that Adrina had a cousin. A family to accompany each other.

Many were not that fortunate.

Hugging Adrina and pulling her close into her embrace she softly said, "I'm sure you can find the light in all the dark you see. I found your gramps on the Vitus. Your mom found your papa on the Vitus. My brother found Layla. Their son found Jessie. You and Kalden will find your own Pragmas too." Doria's smiled widened as she saw Adrina fighting a smile.

Adrina nodded as hope filled her heart. A flicker of light passed the window. She excitingly jumped from the bed and ran to the window. A comet.

"Adri, make a wish."

"You too, grams."

Both looked towards the flaming ball of gas. Adrina closed her eye while Doria kept one eye open observing Adrina.

I wish to see the green and the blue with my future Pragma.

I wish for my family to stay safe.

The two smiled at each before continuing the story-telling.  

Sorry for the late post. Forgot that I had classes after school. Hopefully, you like this new story. Vote if you like. Comment if you like or don't like.