Page 26 of Between Earth and Eternity
“Lenny is the only family I have left.” She notices my face fall. “It’s been that way for a long time. I’m used to it. As soon as I was old enough to take care of myself, Len took the job. I wanted him to do it, even though we would be apart.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”
She tucks a strand of her glossy dark hair behind her ear. “It wasn’t, but I got by.”
“Do you get to talk to him often?” I ask, hopeful.
“No. It takes ages for messages to get here, not to mention the expense. He promised to save all his money for a place of our own once I joined him on Eden. I’m sure he was so surprised to see me as the first Lottery winner.” Her face lights up again, and I find myself admiring her bright countenance despite her circumstances. After being alone for so long and facing the harsh conditions of life on the edge of the remnants of civilization, she deserved this ticket.
“That will be quite the reunion,” I say, smiling.
She nods happily, staring off for a moment, as if she is living out the daydream in her mind, before she snaps back to reality. “What about you? Tell me about your family.” She crosses her legs under each other, turning to face me fully, so I do the same. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a proper girl talk with anyone other than my mom and Gran. I talk to El about everything, but the easy sisterhood with another woman is priceless.
I fill her in on my work assignment and family, but it isn’t long until we start to peel back the layers of our likes and dislikes. I quickly find that Ori is the exact opposite of me, but instead of deterring me, it makes me like her more. She is hopeful and unafraid. Small in stature, but with a personality as bright as a sun.
I hope I can be vicariously optimistic through her, especially tomorrow. I still have no idea how I’m going to manage it.
When I ask her what kind of music she likes, she admits she doesn’t have a favorite genre because she doesn’t own a mobile device. I promise to show her all my musical knowledge and my must-see movies. Before we know it, it’s nearing noon, so we make our way into the hallway, where a few stewards wait for everyone to gather.
Romy notices my arrival and runs to me. “Skyler!” She wraps her arms around my waist. “I missed you!”
I pat her head. “I missed you too.”
She fills me in on all the things she did while in quarantine, talking a million miles a minute. I’m glad to find her shyness and sadness have lessened.
“And Mr. Hall says there will be tons of kids my age on the ship.” Her cheeks are rosy pink in her excitement.
“Sounds like there will be lots of new friends to make on the journey,” I say with a wink.
She turns to look at Ori. “Is she going to beyournew friend?”
Before I can respond, Ori pipes in with a gleeful, “Absolutely.”
My heart swells, not realizing how much I needed to hear that I’m not going to be alone on this odyssey after all.
“Is everyone here?” Osman asks, surveying the group. “Good. Follow me.”
Most seem to have a new pep in their step now that we’re free from quarantine. We’re led into a massive auditorium with several rows of seats and a large podium in the middle.
“Please, everyone, take a seat. The presentation will begin shortly.”
We do as instructed. Ori sits to my left, and Romy sits near Runa a couple of rows in front of us. I wonder who will be tasked with looking after her for the duration of the journey; they must have something in place.
“Do you mind?” I look up to find Payson gesturing to the empty seat on my other side. He wears dark blue jeans and a blue T-shirt that matches his eyes perfectly.
“Not at all,” I say, and he nods in appreciation. “Payson, this is Ori.” He reaches over me to shake her hand. “Ori. Payson.”
“Nice to meet you. You can call me Pace,” he says, smiling. Up close, he smells like fresh laundry.
“What do you think they have in store for us now?” he asks.
“Who knows. I’m just along for the ride,” Ori says.
I smile, giving a shrug. Pace stares at me for a second longer before a hologram appears on the podium.
“Greetings, Lottery winners!” Zara’s petite figure appears. Her perfectly crafted pink hair and makeup are never out of place in her AI form. I let out a small groan, not meaning to, but Pace gives me a look, showing he feels similarly. That’s a relief.
“Tomorrow is a historic day for humankind, and it is especially exciting for all of you who have been selected to take part in this remarkable moment. I’m sure the immense gratitude and excitement you must be feeling is overwhelming.” I keep my face neutral, not sure if I feel like laughing or crying.
