We are now reaching the 97th years of life, counting from the doomsday occurrence, and celebrating the anniversaries to the grave. Meanwhile I was born in the space. No experience, neither a history regarding what happened in the very past. Only I was told that the ancestors worked on explanation as they passed down the power from generation to generation until we reached the nearest number to 100 years. My mother has possessed that power currently. She had done so much preparations for the future. The arc spaceship could no longer provide enough oxygen and it will run out in 3 more months. She knew it.

 

That was the main reason why she decided to unveil the young prisoners, completely and popularly known as the juveniles, committed small to biggest crimes, and gathered them inside the meeting hall. All together with me. I was not a prisoner but I begged my mom to include me. I just needed to see and touch the land. They were said to be incredible. I have never showered under the sun. I have never smelt the real greens. Pictures from previous days right before the nuclear explosion was not enough for me to perceive and observe. Not enough to satisfy my curiosity about the ground.

 

Now, here I come.

 

Desperation brought me here, so does determination to help the civilization. There are like 2, 289 people in our floating ship. That does not exclude elders and children. Their life and fate lies in the hands of one hundred juveniles. If we could hit the jackpot, then everyone else will not die out of hypoxia.

 

We all now sitting on the chairs, some remain glaring coldly toward the president and some tend to concentrate.

 

“As you have been informed beforehand, we need all of you, to step your feet onto the ground and your mission has to target the appointed location. The Mount, a place where we last recorded a contact with survivors from Earth. There is a landscape image given to Zoey. You should figure out a way there without a map. In additional, we have already wrapped a wristband around your wrists to detect your heart rate and lives, so we can watch over your safety. Do I make myself clear, my children?” asked Mrs. Hwang, the head, her eyes darting on everyone presented in the room.

 

They answered in unison with, "Yes!"

Majority of them shows disrespectful and forceful tone.

 

Natural habit of the delinquents, she understood.

 

Then her gaze meet me standing on the corner side of the stage where she held the announcement. I presses my lips together, quietly heaving a deep sigh. I don't think I am ready enough to face troubles by entering the rocket-patterned ship. What if the radiation on Earth still contagious and risky? My mind started to repeat the same doubts all over again and again. Despite my excitement to land on Earth, however, I feel burdened at the same time.

 

Guess I should cool myself down first.

 

I walk out of the meeting hall and the door sliding closed behind as I continue striving down the path, passing by multiple crews and securities, until the moment I stop to plop against the couch. It is the lounge area. Many innocents running around and spending time to bond with each other. I almost dozing off for a small nap but a voice interrupts the tranquility I just felt.

 

"Hey, sleepyhead. Want some doughnuts?"

 

I recognizes that voice.

 

"Cut it out, Hyunjin. Your baking skill is still low," I jokingly uttered, pretty normal for siblings to achieve a savage interaction whenever they grow an inch close. The younger male scoffs in return and smirking. "Whatever. I still can make the girls here drooling by my capability."

 

He begins to settle down on the opposite view, plopping onto a single couch with chewing a mouthful of creamy doughnut. I had to roll my eyes for witnessing his over-confident expression. Just so full of himself by complimenting his own handmade doughnut.

 

"Really?" I sarcastically asked before lifting up to sit and stretches my limbs. "So have you packed your things yet?' I added, busily cracking my knuckles as I only wear a short sleeve shirt that unintentionally reveals my tattoo on the forearm part. Sounds illegal but the laws in the space changed. Unlike with huge government and strict rules and regulations to follow. Here also claim the same, except you need to be over-17 to receive an ink. Not addicted though. Just simply enjoying to paste a memorable meaning on my skin beside from keeping it inside our head.

 

Hyunjin shakes his head nonchalantly. "I haven't but I will do it after this. Come on, I can toss them all into the luggage effortlessly. No need to fold. Lazy." and that results me to look so done at him. "Suit yourself." I huffs and stand up.

 

"Where are you going?"

 

"To the fitness. Need some warmup before the launching," I said while strolling out of the lounge, leaving my younger brother behind to hold a chitchat with his fangirls. I ties up my black straight hair up into ponytail for comfortable access to exercise a little. Luckily I wear my joggy pants instead of my usual skinny jeans and probably hard to move a muscle if I did.

 

Then a firm presence bumps when I just pull open the glass door as he did not realize the entrance and he yelp out in pain, falling on his .

 

"Ow!"

 

I remain emotionless, staring at him as his friends worriedly check on his condition and pull him up again. "Oh shoot man, you didn't see where you were heading to? God you're so distracted a lot today."

 

Their faces are so familiar. Why not? They are also the prisoners in charged to land on Earth soon. Or more like former prisoners since they are freed to wander around for the last time before the time. The deadline is tomorrow anyways. But guards still keeping an eye on them for safety purpose and so they won't do crimes that crosses the borderline.

 

"Sorry, young lady. He is always like this after getting out from the cell," said a dirty-blonde man, seems to be polite and a matured gentleman compared the other six behind him, offering me a dimpled smile.

 

"Hmm," the only attitude I give. "Make sure he doesn't drink," I manage to come up with a mini joke and proceeds inside, approaching the treadmill in front sight. Then I can feel a pair of glances stabbing my back. I turn to find one of the friends who helped the bumped guy staring back at me. His eyes sharpen, black parted hair, tattooed sleeves up to his collarbones. Not filled. Just small inks around him. He got the inner message but I couldn't tell. Holding vengeance on me maybe? Or I become the victim on behalf of my mom?

 

He disappears with his friends next.

 

I shrug it off and resume pressing the button of the treadmill machine to start the jogging.

 

But I have seen him somewhere. In the clinic room where I used to operating injured people, including prisoners.

My eyebrows furrows in confusion.

 

Never see it weird to receive hatreds because of my mother and her high-ranked staffs but this particular guy sure has something to tell. I will remember to question him once we are down tomorrow. Only that if we survive the crash later and hopefully not separated.

 

I fasten up the pace and panting from the sprint.

 

"Earth, we will descend. Fall from the sky. In a few more hours till we meet again."

 

 

 

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