Pandora's Call

Chapter One: The Picture

"Are you really going to do this? You can't be serious Zora!" She exclaimed, slamming a stack of filled folders onto the table. Zora flinched and looked up at her best friend since third grade with stern eyes.

"You know I am serious Kate. I've been getting my affairs in order for months to have this opportunity. It's only a 15 year contract." Zora explained.

Kate put her hands on the stack of folders labeled "RDA" and sighed.

"Look, I know losing him was hard. It was a shock for everyone but fleeing the entire planet for some satisfaction? Zora you've lost your damn mind." Kate explained, letting her slightly white blonde hair fall in front of her face.

"I've done the research. I've listened to countless classes on Pandora biome and language. I am going to go to Pandora and finish the work that never got the chance to be started." Zora said, pointing a finger at Kate as she got up from her chair. She walked to the window and looked out of it, turning around she caught Kate's eye again.

"You see how it is out there? It's horrible! Earth is a dumpster, filled with metal and no sunlight. Everything is so expensive, even with a high paying job. People are killing other people for a chance at survival Kate! How can I sit here and do nothing?" Zora shouted.

"I have a chance to go to a new world and help humans find a better home, one where people don't have to worry about when their next meal is, or if someone is going to kill them for useless paper in their wallet. I am going and you can't stop me." Zora continued, her voice giving away her frustration.

Kate stared at Zora for a moment before putting her hands up on top of her head. Zora took her long black hair and put it into a ponytail. She placed her hands on her hips when she was done, and looked at Kate as she opened her mouth.

"It's going to be like you're dead, do you understand that? I will never know if you are dead or alive for the rest of my life." Kate said, as she wiped away a tear falling from her cheek.

"It's only 15 years." Zora said flatly, looking judgmental at Kate's dramatic statement.

"And what if it isn't Zora? You could get killed, you could stay there, hell, you could not even wake up from Cryo!" Kate yelled.

Zora's face softened and she walked back to the table and sat down. She looked around the house that had yet to be packed up and stored. She stood up and walked to the fireplace grabbing a picture frame. She turned around and gave it to Kate. Kate looked down and looked back at Zora.

"You aren't taking this with you?" Kate asked.

Zora shook her head no,

"I have other pictures I am taking. This one is my favorite, but you need this more than I do." Zora explained putting her hand on Kate's shoulder.

"Thank you." Kate said softly.

Zora looked around again and shrugged her shoulders.

"Do you want the house? Anything here is yours. I know times are tough and they'll only get worse after I'm gone." Zora asked.

Kate looked at Zora amazed, Zora raised an eyebrow at her open mouthed expression.

"Of course! I'll take fantastic care of it until you get back." Kate said excitedly.

Zora smiled and handed her the house keys.

"Good, I'm glad you said yes." Zora said.

She walked around the corner and opened the closet door. A loud thud rattled the floor as Zora looked at the giant duffle bag she had already packed. Kate yelped and snapped her head in the direction of the thud. She looked at Zora with an anxious face.

"No, no, no. You are not doing this to me!" Kate exclaimed, anxiously running for the stack of folders. She shuffled through the papers and paused on a page.

"You're leaving today?" Kate snotted.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, it was really now or never. Next crew doesn't leave for 3 years, there's only so many ship's they can send at a time." Zora said, trying to make it seem positive.

Kate picked up the picture frame and chucked it at Zora. Zora ducked as the frame shattered into sharp shards against the wall.

"Don't end it like this." Zora warned, looking up from her ducked postion.

Kate said nothing in return and sat at the kitchen table staring at the folders. Zora decided to not say anything more and opened the door to the house. She took one last look at Kate and sighed.

"I still love you, you asshole. See you in fifteen years bestie." Zora called, waiting by the door hoping for a reply that never comes. Zora sighed again and shut the door, she made her way to her car and placed the duffle bag in the backseat.

Kate got up from the kitchen table and watched Zora pack her things into the car from the window. She hesitated wondering if going after her would do more harm than good.

"She's been through enough. I need to let her do this." Kate muttered to herself.

She turned around and walked to where the picture frame was shattered on the floor. She knelt down and carefully plucked the pieces of glass away, freeing the picture. She looked down at it and admired the details on everyone's face. It was the last time everyone was happy before the accident and death. In the picture Kate was sitting next to Zora and her husband Tommy, all laughing as Tommy's twin brother Jake was smiling while kissing a beer bottle.

"God I wonder where Jake is now." Kate asked herself.