Jennie K.

 

“again, i don’t think i heard it right. tell me what it was again miss kim? that ‘thing’ you said?” 

 

“god, li we don’t have the time for this.” this was the first time lisa spoke and the first thing she asks me was this? “i said, pranpriya lalisa manoban, the world is ending in 24 hours. and i need your help to stop if from happening. now, are you gonna ask me the right questions or do i have to repeat myself again?” 

 

it took lisa a good 10 minutes before finally answering me. i’m wasting time, i can’t believe she was this stupid years ago. time is a luxury we both cannot afford. not right now, at least.

 

“f-fine. i’m sorry i just... nevermind” lisa clears . “i’m just so confused. i mean the only person who knows my real name is my mom. i never include ‘pranpriya’ in any of the school documents, hell even my ID doesn’t have pranpriya in it.“

 

that makes sense: why she was so dumbfounded. no one knew about her real name back in high school. i could still remember the first time she told me about it. lisa was 18 when we were both abducted. we lived together as roommates at the Valkyrie, but it took her 4 years before finally telling me about it. it was my 23rd birthday when she gave me that piece of information as a gift. it’s not like she hated her name, as a matter of fact she loved keeping it to herself; it’s a piece of my individuality i wouldn’t want to share it with just anyone, she told me.

 

“it’s because we know each other. well, not in this world that is.” i said, hoping that it clears even a bit of her confusion.

 

“it... doesn’t make sense. i mean miss kim, we just met?”

 

“let me explain this to you...” i took a deep breath and searched for her eyes. i was expecting to see a little understanding, but all i saw was doubt. i don’t blame her though, if future lisa would come to me at this time, i’d probably punch her in the face. “before i start anything, i need you to promise that you’ll believe me.”

 

lisa furrows her eyebrows, her eyes battling with dilemma. “i promise” she finally answered.

 

“my name, as you know it, is jennie kim. i work at the Valkyrie’s main laboratory as head physicist. i am 38 years old, happily married and i do have a kid.” i looked at lisa for a brief moment, you’re still confused... aren’t you lili? i thought to myself. “the consciousness of your jennie kim—“

 

“m-my jennie kim?” lisa blushed.

 

“i meant the jennie kim of this era,” i smiled. like she said, i’ve always had an effect on her. “well her consciousness was put to sleep so i could transfer mine and use, well, my younger self’s body to reach you.”

 

“let’s assume i believe all of this you’re saying, yeah?” lisa massages her temple with her right hand, all while reaching something from her pocket which i believe is...

 

“you’re about to smoke marlboro reds.”

 

lisa’s eyes widened. “jesus miss kim?! how the hell?”

 

“you always smoke when you’re stressed.” i could stil remember lisa’s scent: a mixture of grease, metal, and soft hints cigarettes. “i told you already, i know you.”

 

lisa shook her head lightly, loosing her necktie, she sat at the couch across me. “i don’t what this is about but fine, i’ll play along. let me hear what you have to say.”

 

that’s more like it.

 

“the year is 2039. the earth was terminated by powerful world leaders who call themselves the Revels. before nuclear bombs ascended around the world, the Revels made sure to choose representatives for the new human race– individuals with IQs 200 and above were chosen and kidnapped before the apocalypse commenced.” 

 

i took a quick glance at lisa to check whether she’s still listening, in which she is, and so i continued.

 

“the chosen ones were called the Xylos. we were a part of them, lis. brought in a tiny capsule shot into space where we were gathered by astronauts into a massive spaceship which we call the Valkyrie. you and i shared the same capsule, lisa. but that was our second encounter. this, this our first.” 

 

i paused. glancing at lisa for a second, please believe me lili, i need you to believe me.

 

“go on” lisa says, as if she could read my thoughts.

 

“they said the apocalypse was a cleanse; so the human race could rid of bad blood. they told us it was the beginning of equality. and so they trained us, you and i, to be useful members of the Valkyrie community. i was designed to be a physicist.”

 

“what about me?”

 

“a mechanical engineer. the best in space, actually.”

 

“oh... well i’ve always been fascinated by machines.” lisa nods, her features softening as she lights a cigarette. “if this was the first time we’ve met, why were you such a, excuse the word, to me earlier?”

 

i laughed at the question, “it was protocol. no one must know you and i have unlocked the equation for time travel. if i, in any case, alter at least one detail, the timeline could change. the apocalypse might happen sooner. that’s why i had to wait for irene to turn off the cameras in this room so i could finally talk to you.”

 

“irene? bae joohyun the new student? how long have you been here?” 

 

“since last year. irene is my confidant. we were both sent by lisa, well you, to investigate and calculate equations that are deemed necessary to avoid the apocalypse.”

 

“if i sent you and you guys have been here for a year, why did you just talk to me now? you could’ve talked to me sooner, not when the apocalypse starts tomorrow.”

 

“no lisa, believe me we’ve thought about that. but things, had to happen before we could come to you. this, this is the perfect moment.”

 

lisa closes her eyes. following a deep sigh, she tossed her cigarette and rose to her seat. “i still don’t fully believe this. but given you seem to know a lot about me, i’ll play along. but! i still need details, more details about whatever this is.”

 

“you have my word, lili.” i said, walking towards the door. before i reached the knob, i heard lisa asked herself about what equations are. i couldn’t help but smile at her mannerism, you always talk to yourself when you try and figure things out, lis. 

 

“to answer your question, i’m referring to equations as sequence of events.” i said, still facing the door.

 

“and what kind of equation do i need you to help you with to stop the apocalypse?”

 

“a lot. but we have to start with kang seulgi.”

 

“seulgi?! what do you mean?”

 

i sighed. i could still remember the pain in lisa’s voice whenever she tells me stories about her childhood friend. they were so close. seulgi was lisa’s bestfriend.

 

untwisting the knob, i faced lisa. “according to my calculation,” i took a deep breath before finally telling lisa my calculation of the equation.

 

 “we must prevent kang seulgi’s death.”