Habit

Ashes. That’s what woke her up. A soft snowfall of ashes falling over her face as the earth crumbled above with force. She stirred immediately. How long had she been out? Too long, for certain. The bunker creaked with her weight as she crept off, walking to the sink. A girl with a tired gaze and a mess of dark curls stared back. She sighed, washing the grit from her cheeks before deciding it had really been far too long. Time to find Porter. She lifted a trapdoor beyond the main ground and slipped in. A spiral of dark, moistened steps led to the hidden lab, lit just enough with a small luster.

“ There she is, right on time, too. Hey, can you pass me that friability tester?”

The search was short lived. She stared, dumbfounded.

“ That thing, with the earmuffs on.” The girl searched the bench, finally passing the device to her brother. He thanked her, placing a cluster of pale tablets into one of the muffs and starting a cycle.

“ Why did you let me sleep for so long?”

“ Oh, could you pass me the notepad too?”

She yearned under her breath, passing the notepad. Porter thanked her again, opening to a clean sheet before scribbling something down in his messy penmanship.

“ I thought you could use the rest. Those sick ones yesterday really did a number on you.” He finally answered, stealing a glance at his sister.

Tired. Berry-like bruises decorating her pale skin.

“ I’m alright Porter.”

A silence filled the laboratory, a stillness aside from the occasional rustle of tablets spinning their sequence.

“ What is that, a new supplement?”

The boy smiled. That battered, curved kinda smile he did when he was proud.

" It's a fantasy transporter, to have a stern chat with the lunarians about world peace." He joked glumly.

" I'm kidding, they're just multivitamins."

The girl ached, admiring her brother's work. Porter had a knack for these types of things; blooming with humor during the darkest of times. Ironic really, but she held her peace as always.

A sigh escaped her as she drummed on the bench, contemplating. Fondling the chain of a loose pendant around her neck.

" Where are all the sick ones today? I'd expect them to be attacking the water tank by now."

Porter jotted down another note into his book.

" There's a bombing going on above ground, I'd think that'd keep them occupied." He replied.

" Don't worry Effie, you've been through enough."

She batted a hand.

" I'm alright, really. It's been a while since I've had some good combat."

Porter smiled, eyeing his sister again. " I wouldn't know," he joked.

" Well if you're up for another challenge.

I'm running low on the cobalt mineral. We could venture to the mines tomorrow."

The girl raised her brow.

" You mentioned a bombing above ground, no?"

" It's the only opening the miners have. We'll take the underground track, at least until we reach the city." Porter encouraged. Ironic, again.

" We do need money," came her answer. At that, she strode over to the door, turning back momentarily.

" I have to sharpen my blades," she excused and vanished into the blackness of the stairwell.

~

The girl sat in her room, sanding down her weapons with a stern focus.

Tomorrow would be peril, despite the explosive efforts on the surface. The sick ones were still human, and above all, they were mindful enough to avoid the government's efforts. Ophelia would have to figure it out on her own, a truth she knew all too well. She touched the locket around her neck , the bumps of silvery engravings toying with her fingertips.

The year was 5012. Over a century ago, the nature of humanity had caused a catastrophic deficit to most of earth's natural resources. The shortages forced world authorities to exploit planet Luna for essentials. And at first, it worked. The inhabitants were delighted to help. Though it wasn't long before humans, as they do, became more demanding and purloined all, sealing the settlement with a faulty contract. This action proved to be just as catastrophic. The outsiders retorted by planting a self destructive chemical amongst humanity: The start of the sick ones. Enzyme F, as the CDC had labeled it worldwide, a substance that causes people to go feral. It made men, women and children violent and brash, lashing out at anyone they sensed. And in true telltale form, humanity's tragic flaw would welcome it's downfall. Society as it had become, would quickly and tragically collapse in on itself, devoured by greed and self destruction.

They were lucky. Ophelia reminisced in that fact every day.

She knew of the rules all too well.

As one of the remaining relatives of the Crawford family, what choice did she have?

Crawford, a proud title, a powerhouse of political authority with dangerous governmental ties. All she used it for was her unsolicited thrill of battle. Not in the violent way, no.

The calculated, elegant way that forced her body into form. An exercise to expel the emotions of an otherwise quiet mind. It only seemed that way; Ophelia's mind was all but quiet. Her passion had become a necessity, however, to keep the sick ones far away.

Porter was a different case. He had a fire for creativity, making and mixing things. Crawford meant access to the most advanced chemistry courses in his region; and this built him into the most advanced chemist in his region. He made potions and multivitamins to keep himself and Ophelia healthy through the hard times--- and with the economy so low, everyone was requesting his service.

They were lucky. Very lucky.

And then there was the necklace.

A heart shaped pendant with a pristine, polished finish. An ethereal engraving marked it's surface, tracing soft dips throughout the front piece. It all led to a small, undisturbed keyhole. It had withstood so much--- from the apocalypse to losing it's keeper.

The necklace had belonged to Joe, the youngest of the Crawfords. She was a young girl, radiating with life and completely caught up in her own little fantasies. While her elder siblings used their parents' power for science and combat, Joe had other ideas. She used her parents power to speak with the people from the other worlds, as she used to put it. Of course, a young girl like her would never have access to her parents' work. But it inspired her, kept her happy. So everyone entertained it.

The locket appeared just forty day before the ENZYME-F outbreak. Joe claimed the people from the other worlds gifted it to her, as she would. Only after those forty days had passed, Joe went missing. The outbreak occurred just an hour later.

Ophelia had adopted the locket ever since.

So tomorrow would be peril. In an altered world, everyday would be peril.

~

Ophelia and Porter arrived in the city remotely unharmed.The skies were an angry, dark crimson, clouds of napalm streaked throughout like a scattered plea. They ran cautiously towards mines, their masks fastened, Ophelia's blade drawn dare a sick one try it.

" This used to be an errand run for me," Porter noted through breathy pants.

" It still is, I would say. Just more high-pressure."

Ophelia said, running alongside her brother.

" Joe thought these were so fun. I honestly think she was just trying to get out of the house. Either way, she made harvesting ten times more enjoyable."

Porter confest after a pause, a soft smile on his lips.

Ophelia laughed, but was soon overrode with a wave of sadness.

" I remember. She couldn't get enough."

~

It wasn't long before the two reached the mine. Ophelia fondled the chain of a loose pendant around her neck.

It was habit, she couldn't resist.

" She loved that pendant."

Porter's voice was low.

" The other people gave it to me!" He mocked, and brother and sister laughed.

" She would have grown into it so well," Ophelia decided and Porter nodded in agreement.

" Remember that time she was talking to the lunarians, and she said she was their favorite?"

They laughed again.

“ Yeah! And that they wanted her to move in but she was too young.”

“ Yeah, I said I'd miss her too much."

Ophelia felt her heart sink.

" I do miss her.”

~

“Aha! Got it!” Porter grabbed the envelopes of his cobalt and his revenue. Ophelia clutched her blade. Habit.

“ What the hell”, she heard her brother say. He held a tiny gold key in between his thumb and pointer, slowly rotating it to admire it's glimmer. “Let me see”. Effie cupped the delicate thing in her rough palms; a stark contrast. It looked oddly familiar, like it was meant for her, or she had seen it somewhere before. She stuffed it into her pocket, an idea in mind.

~

The idea had survived the trek home. Ophelia shoved the key into the locket, curious.

The lock clicked. The girl's heart hammered in her chest as the locket fell open.

A thin sheet of paper unraveled itself. Ophelia could barely catch her breath.

“ Porter!"

The boy couldn't come fast enough.

" Porter!"

Eventually he came bounding in, his goggles still plastered to his brown skin.

" Look."

He stiffened.

“How did you do that”?

He barely managed a whisper.

“It's a grid, uranography. These are coordinates!”

Porter was still in complete shock.

“Holy heck, Effie.”

“She didn't do this, how would she do this?" Ophelia pondered manically. Porter grabbed for the map, looking it over delicately.

" These are really developed. I think this is a legit map,”

" Oh my God,"

“What?”

“What if she was right? What if all of those times Joe was talking about the other people, what if she was actually talking to them?”

Porter shook his head.

“Effie, no”

“Porter, it all makes sense now! Just think, ENZYME-F started because of two things; expansion and consolidation. They will stop at nothing. We saw it first hand! Quantity, money is what that contract was all about. “ she explained erratically.

“Joe is not like that. She didn't even know about all this. All she ever wanted was to talk--- her fantasies, remember? She was the only one who didn't want to take something away from them.”

Ophelia swiped up the map, desperately holding it up to her brother.

“What if this is where she is? Joe went missing just before all this mess began.

They would have wanted to persevere her, keep her safe."

She took a shallow breath and whispered,

" What if this is a grid for Luna?”

“Effie..-”

“Porter, I think she's alive. I can feel it, she's alive, somewhere out there!”

He grabbed her hand and shook her.

“No Effie, stop! Just stop! Joe is gone. Just like Mom and Dad and everyone. We can't take that back. It's you and me now. We have to focus on you and me, okay?”

“Where did she go, Porter?”

The boy digressed, unable to face her. Ophelia went on.

" Where did she go? Joe always said they would make a better tomorrow. With distribution, peace. With no people. Where did she get that from? She always said the people from the other world would never know we could be good. They saved her to end us. She's up there Porter."

And after a moment's pause, she said it.

" We have to go to Luna.”

“We can't go to Luna. We'll never make it to the base.” He insisted, though moved .

“We can push that better tomorrow. Joe can. She can convince them to lift the enzyme, and this could all be over.

You have to trust me. Joe is out there. She's in Luna, Porter.”

A mist clouded the girl's gaze, tears of desperation clawing down her face.

And with a glimmer in his eye, Porter agreed.

" Ok."