Ground Two

Destiny

The metal exterior shone in the sun, the seven, agape mouths of the barrels smoking with compressed laser energy building up inside. Lumina stared at it, the blood pressure building within her veins. Her muscles tightened a little more, the cuffs cutting into her rigid wrists. Soal noticed and loosened her grip a little.

"So, what do you think of my little project Hera?"

"I'd like to spit on it," Lumina spoke through clenched teeth.

"Hera Lumina Si, how dare you speak to your mother like that? Did I ever spit on one of the projects you brought home from school for me?"

"No! Because I never did bring home a project from boarding school. Eva was the only one to go to public school and come home in the evening. You complained about my being a nuisance in quiet when you thought I couldn't hear. After that, I knew you and dad never loved me. Eva, out of all three of you, was the only one who did. My big sister, sticking up for me, protecting me, when you didn't."

"You were always meddling in my plans, and even boarding school didn't stop you. After your instructor found one of your hidden talents, he sent you to work under my command. That is where you meddled. Again."

"Well here's a piece of advice. Never leave destruction code where prying, technical eyes can see it."

"Noted. But many employees are supposed to mind their own business.."

"Well I'm glad I hadn't."

Lumina's mother cast a small grin. "I'm glad I fired you and your suspicions were kept to yourself. But I knew after finding out about your leadership on Ground 2, that you must've spread it around. So that is why I' going to destroy it, not only to rule a small world, but so that my subjects ears aren't poisoned with the truth about their leader."

I never told anyone my suspicions. That's a lie, and everyone on Ground 2 is innocent. At least those who didn't know about our propulsion system, Lumina thought. "That's impossible for you to do. Especially for such a person intent on being bad all the time."

Her mother sneered. "Do you truly want to see how bad I really am?"

Lumina's muscles went rigid, but she stilled herself, waiting for the appropriate time.

Lumina's mother crossed over to a control panel, her finger positioning itself over a glowing, red button. Soal drastically loosened her grip until her hands weren't even on Lumina's arms. "Ma'am? You wouldn't dare," Soal said.

Lumina's mother's grin became wild. "I do!" Her finger plummeted.

Lumina ran forward, breaking the shackles that bound her, and leapt for her mother. Lumina's arms wrapped around her mother's waist once she came into contact and Lumina's weight brought her mother down after she grazed the button's surface.

Lumina's head twisted while still in the air to watch the screens light up with an orange, neon glow. The same glow that appeared the night of the Earth's splitting into two.

The metal floor came into contact with Lumina's body, her bones rattling behind her muscles as the pain quickly coursed through her like an electric current. Her eyes are wide, the color neon orange seared into her mind and vision.

There is silence in the room as Lumina lays, paralyzed, from what had just taken place. But then there are bouts of hyena like laughter coming across form her.

Soon, Lumina drags herself up to stand on her feet, her eyes catching on one of the monitors. All she sees is a black void, stars filling the nothingness, but there is no more Ground 2.

There's no other half of Earth.

There's no more citizens of the Ground 2.

There's no more...

But wait...

Soal Myda's laughter dies. Lumina's eyes catch on another LapPad monitor. Lumina's heart swells with many indescribable emotions.

Ground 2 comes rocketing towards Ground 1, the sight of its passing projecting onto many of the monitors. Lumina almost laughs herself, but then feels the ground quaking beneath her. Lumina catches sight of DESTINY reposition itself on the monitor and then looks over to the control panel where her mother once stood. Soal Myda stands there now, her hands a blur as they work all the little buttons, levers, and switches. They freeze, acknowledging that DESTINY is positioned accordingly.

Lumina shakes herself out of her daze and stumbles forward. But her legs catch on one another and she falls to the floor again. She twists and turns, eventually getting herself to stand up again, but Soal Dienze already is after Soal Myda Si.

Soal Dienze takes Soal Si's legs out from under her. They both, unbalanced, collapse to the floor. Soal Si struggles to stand, but Soal Dienze wrestles her back down. They petty fight for a while, Lumina's on her feet running towards the control panel, her hands grasp a lever, but then a hand slaps it away and wrestles her down to the floor, her body landing on Soal Dienze's.

Oomph.

Lumina stares, wide-eyed, at Soal, who is also wide-eyed. Lumina quickly rolls off and wipes herself off while murmuring an apology. Soal Si stands above them, her tongue out, and her finger dangling over the button. Lumina reaches up to stop her mother, but her wrist is caught by Soal Si. Lumina raises her other hand, Soal Si catches that one too. Lumina struggles. But then she hears the tap of a button. She looks up at the feeling of the rumbling floor. Soal Si had pushed the button.

Lumina's head turns to the monitors.

Lumina sees the thing that changes her life forever. The neon orange light slams into Ground 2. Cracks of neon orange light spiderweb across its half-orbed surface, and then it collapses in on itself.

There was a faint white glow...but then it vanished.

There was nothing left.

Lumina witnessed it with her own two eyes.

There was nothing left.

Lumina falls to the floor.

Soal Si laughs.

There's no other half of Earth left.

Lumina hugs her knees to her chest.

Soal Si is dragged away by David, who saw, first hand, her evilness.

There is no other half of citizens to make up the Earth.

Soal Dienze gathers a stricken Lumina into her arms.

There's no more Eva.

Lumina breaks down crying.

Soal Si is shoved into the back of an armored truck and taken downtown to Looneyville.

There's no more Ground 2.

Soal Dienze holds Lumina tighter as tears came out in a torrent down Lumina's cheeks.

There's nothing left.