Ana is awake, I am aware. There is no disorientation. There is only the now. There is the sense of this day. August 16, 2052. Ana is aware. I am awake.

           /

     We've been here for quite a while now. We've gone further and populated all corners of our world. We learned to map worlds and galaxies further than our own. In our search for meaning, we've let our imagination lead us to possibilities beyond the comprehension of those before us. We keep searching the for a new meaning to life in newly imagined ways. We use all our resources to make sense of it. And yet for all this longing and for our sense of futility, we forget the underlying truth. That it was by our hands that we brought the First Reckoning.
      In the span of half a century, we reached dizzying heights in complexity. We celebrated a new millennium with eagerness and a higher purpose. We connected with each other in ways never before possible, and then, we burnt the world and destroyed it all. 

        When the last remaining city on Earth fell, only Lumin remained. Those who survived in the debris and wastelands became beasts and ghosts. For a while, they populated former cities, toxic wastelands. In confusion, dread, and anger.  Their eyes no longer looked upwards, and soon they forgot the stars. It was in this wretched world that Lumin was formed. And Ana, remembered it all too well.


                  /


    A single day, and a single signal. A message from an unknown origin. That's what it took to change everything. Out of more than a million possible origins out there. No one knew where it came from. Ana wasn't programmed to be sure. but she was sure of this. The message was for her, and it was transmitted by a pod deep in space. But even she had no way of knowing from where.
    She raised the alarm and let the Eminent, her protectors in Lumin know. They didn't know what to make of it. Things started happening quickly after that. COGA sent over deciphers. Two had come, and they went straight to conference with the Eminent. They would come to her soon.
      In a way she was relieved. She had a bad feeling about the signal, she didn't know how to explain it. The Earth was dying, and she knew that the signal had something to do with this. She would need time to take every possibility into account that it was indeed, from one of their pods. It could possibly be their answer to guarantee that Lumin would be secure. The deciphers didn't really trouble her because of this. They were the last thing on her mind. She had to work on her program, she was due for an upgrade. Her biggest in ages, she would have to make sure that she was ready for her exercise. She had to focus. She needed badly to see Ricard.  She wished he was with her in training right now. She hadn't seen him since last night. She knew that she would have to keep working on the signal but she really wanted someone to help her. Then it hit her, she had a plan.
     If Lumines survival depended on her she would need all the help she could get from the Intents. She needed to speak to 5tr0de. He was out there right now and she was pretty sure he would be waiting for her call. They must know about the signal too. She would have to find him. She closed her eyes and started to reach out. Seconds later they were in contact. Ana found him before he found her. The connection was made. She was glad since he was the easiest to communicate with. For a brief moment, they assessed each other inside the Blok. Their collective intent couldn't be masked for this to work. And she made sure that the connection stayed open, and he knew her intent straight away. They made small talk just in case someone was listening.
      'Hey...'
'Hello, Ana.'
'Did you get my message?'
'Yes, I'm in the mountains right now.'
'I don't want to distract you. Are you are on your way to the station?'
'You're not, go on. Yes, I'm almost there.'

Whenever they talked about the mountain range or the station, it meant that their message would have to be encrypted on both sides. '5tr0de' knew this, they had devised they code-key pair to communicate in the Blok, especially if one of them was at an unsafe location.
        'I'm counting on you...I'm coming to you soon. I'm nervous Strode. I have new information.'
'I know. Send it to me, I'll try to help. We can work better together.'
'Okay. Please, be careful... Winter can mess up the trail there in the mountains,' she said. She could think of him smiling now.
'You know I'm always careful, I know this mountain like the back of my hands Ana. Send the code.'
'Okay. Transmitting now.'
'Oh, and Ana. I've found something too ... I can't quite make anything out of it. I found something in the woods near the station. I'll show you when you get here.'