Echoes from Earth [ENG]

Chapter 1

Jo Ann opened her eyes as a gentle breeze swept over the fields. The first thing she felt was the soft rustling of the grass beneath her, swaying slightly in the wind, and the strands of her blonde hair falling across her face. She lifted a hand to brush her hair away, then lay back and gazed up at the sky. Snow-covered peaks framed the valley, a stone fortress of nature that stood like an ancient guard over everything below.

The world around her was silent, just the distant whisper of the wind drifting through her thoughts. Moments like this had become rare since she'd joined the Consortium's military. Days where she could retreat, far from the mechanical hum of the capital, felt like rare gifts.

Jo Ann closed her eyes, fingers sinking slightly into the soft grass. In the distance, the sky glowed with pastel shades, the sun dipping behind the peaks as if preparing itself for the coming night. But here, in this moment, everything was still and calm.

"How much longer?" she wondered, her thoughts drifting back to her upcoming deployment. These peaceful minutes felt like the calm before the storm. Her uniform lay pressed and ready in her room, the dark metal badges gleaming faintly in the dim light. Only a week ago, she'd been on a mission deep within the Inner Sectors, where machines ruled the air itself and neon lights pulsed through the cities like lifeblood.

A soft beep from her intercom snapped her back to reality. Sighing, she pulled the device from her pocket and checked it. It was her mom. Of course.

With a slight hesitation, she stood, dusted herself off, and started back toward her grandparents' house. The path wound through the valley, past old stone walls and dense woods. Compared to the cool, technological sharpness of the capital, this place was like a bubble frozen in time, a remnant of a more peaceful, simpler world.

"What were you doing?" Leo asked, running up to meet her. Her little brother, barely twelve, looked up at her, his eyes full of curiosity and that innocent admiration Jo Ann sometimes found hard to bear. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate his love, but his naivety was a stark reminder of everything she'd left behind.

"Just enjoying the view," she replied softly, giving his hair a playful ruffle. His wide grin made her smile, just for a moment.

Inside, the cool, metallic vibe of the rooms—sleek steel surfaces and minimalist design—stood in stark contrast to the rugged nature outside. Digital paintings lined the walls, shifting images projected from displays that could change in an instant.

And in there, her mom waited for the inevitable confrontation.

"Just these two days—why so few days off, Jo Ann?" Her mother's voice was calm as ever, but the hint of reproach was impossible to miss.

Jo Ann took a deep breath before replying. "It wasn't easy to get any time off. I have responsibilities." The standard response she'd gotten used to giving. But she could see in her mom's face that it wasn't enough.

Her mother was a woman who never raised her voice, never showed her feelings openly. But Jo Ann felt the distance between them—the distance of choices they'd both made. One had chosen the military path; the other still carried the weight of old grief.

"There's more to life than duty, Jo Ann." Her mother turned away before delivering the final words. "More than what your father wanted."

The sting hit deeper than she expected, but before Jo Ann could respond, her grandfather raised a hand. "Let's enjoy the evening. There's plenty to argue about tomorrow."

Jo Ann was grateful. Her grandfather had a gift for defusing tension with a few simple words. He possessed a calm she often wished for herself—the calm of a man who'd seen it all and knew when it was time to let go.