Author Games: Brave New World

Finals: Lucia Paula Fernandez

Time.

The two women sat, side by side, leaning against each other for support as they listened to the sound of rushing water before them, feeling the coolness of the air shroud them like a natural fan. One, a blonde, had her beautiful blue eyes closed, while the other, a brunette, was doing the exact opposite – looking around at the sight of nature around her, breathing in the nectar-sweet smell of wildflowers and watching the way the water sloshed and crashed onto the shore. It was beautiful here – peaceful, even – a location on Danu that Lucia Paula Fernandez could truly feel alive. Sydney, she could tell, appreciated the river's magnificence as well – but instead of searing the image of the place in her memory like she was doing, the astronomer was instead remembering the sounds and smells of the river, not the sight of it. I guess everyone has their own way of saying goodbye, she thought, and her heart sank when she realized that there was naught but a day until they left.

Left back to Earth.

Despite the heartache and grief and turmoil that Danu had taken on her, Lucia was not ready to let go. Yes, she desperately wanted to go back to Earth – to see all six members of the Fernandez family and hug them all one by one – but she knew that if she left, she would also be leaving a part of her heart back on Danu. Here, so many things had happened, good things as well as bad – she'd killed twice, she'd contacted a deadly virus, she had to deal with her colony's separation and watch her workmates crash and burn as result of it. She'd cried, she'd screamed, because at times she had truly believed that there was no one left for her, that there was no one to watch over her anymore. The stars – the very stars she had once admired so much – had turned their backs on her, leaving her on a foreign planet alone. Yet, vice versa, Danu had served as a place for new friendships to be made, for new discoveries to arise, for intriguing mysteries to solve. It was a place of beauty and blood, two sides of the scales perfectly balancing out one another.

And now, it was time to leave.

"Oh, Sydney," she whispered softly. "I wish we had more time."

Silence engulfed them both once more, plunging each woman to the depths of their thoughts. Sydney, no doubt, back to her memories of Australia, and Lucia to Venezuela. She missed the familiar streets, the alleyways and towering buildings that she knew like the back of her hand. There, it had been stone and brick, plaster and concrete. Here, she was able to breathe in the smell of fresh air, feel the coldness of the morning brush on her fingertips.

But was the beauty and mysteries of Danu really worth more than Maria?

Maria.

Her sister Maria. The Maria she loved and adored and fussed over. Maria, with her sweet smile and angelic face, the way that her speech slurred with heavy accent when speaking English.

"I miss her," she said aloud again, more to herself that anyone else. "I miss Maria."

"Then go to her," Sydney was looking at her, full in the face, blue eyes filled to the brim with an emotion that Lucia could not decipher. Understanding? Happiness? Sadness? A mix of all three? She could not tell, but sat still as Sydney continued, staring at the stream as she said, "If you love your sister as much as I think you do, go to her. Return to Earth." No one is going to stay here anyways, were the unspoken words that never left Sydney's lips. Everyone is leaving. Me, the Captain. You'll be alone here. Forever alone.

I don't want to be alone.

"I don't want to be alone," this time, the burning sensation of tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. "I don't want to be alone, Sydney." Her words choked, and she looked up at her dearest friend, sending a silent plea through her eyes. A plea for what, Lucia did not truly know. Her heart felt as if it was tearing her apart and her mind was locked in a vicious civil war, over one question: to stay or not to stay? She wanted to do both so desperately, to stay and go back at the same time, but deep inside her heart, Lucia knew.

She knew the real reason as to why she was so conflicted.

"Oh god, Sydney," her lower lip trembled, and this time, she could not hold back her tears. They streamed down her cheeks like the river before them, relentless, never-ending. Burying her head in her hands, it took all of her willpower to get out. "I can't go back. I can't let Maria see me like this. What..." her voice trailed off, causing her to swallow to continue, "What would she think of me?"

Me, her big sister.

A murderer.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Sydney Morristan turned, and gentled laced her fingers with hers. The warmth of her flesh since shivers travelling down her spine, but she did not pull away. "Lucia, look at me," said the Australian softly, and Lucia did not disobey. Their eyes connected, earth and sky, and Sydney proceeded to state, very clearly, eyes never wavering from hers. "Maria will think of you like she'd always had. Her big sister, her sister that she adores." Her eyes softened, "Her feelings for you will never change, Lucia, and you know why?"

"Why?" Lucia asked, but she knew.

A smile crept up on her face.

And then the two of them proceeded to speak slowly, together, the promise that she had made to Maria, before they left:

"I will love you for as long as the stars shine."