Slow Hope

When Komaru stumbled out the building, her head spinning, she found Fukawa waiting for her there.

‘Naegi told you, then,’ Fukawa said.

Komaru met Fukawa’s eyes, and wanted to burst into tears.

‘It’s not fair,’ she said. ‘Everything’s only just starting to go back to normal, and now ...’

What her brother had told her wasn’t rioting and despair. That would come later, she supposed – once the public found out about it. Instead it was death from the skies, an asteroid on its way to earth. Like something out of a bad sci-fi movie.

Fukawa touched her arm, and they sat down together on the steps.

‘Makes it all seem pointless, doesn’t it?’ Fukawa said.

Komaru sniffed and wiped her nose. ‘It’s not pointless.’

‘I bet she’s laughing at us,’ Fukawa said. ‘Everything we survived, only to get done in by an asteroid.’

Komaru leant her head on Fukawa’s shoulder.

‘He asked you, right?’ Fukawa said. ‘Are you going to ...’

Komaru nodded. Her brother had explained the plan the Future Foundation had come up with: a small group of people would be put into stasis, and triggered awake whenever the earth was safe for humans again. Maybe in a few decades. Maybe in a thousand years.

It sounded fantastical to her.

‘I can’t say no,’ Komaru said. ‘I know I haven’t done any more to deserve it than anyone else, but ...’

‘I thought you’d agree to it,’ Fukawa said. ‘I’m going too, then. I can’t let you do it on your own; you’d get yourself killed.’ She met Komaru’s eyes nervously, as if worried she’d said the wrong thing.

‘I’m glad,’ Komaru said. ‘Without you ... that would be too scary.’ She could admit this to Fukawa, when she hadn’t been able to admit it to her brother. ‘I couldn’t do it by myself.’

Fukawa reached out to take Komaru’s hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. Komaru found her eyes blurred with tears; she squeezed Fukawa’s hand.

She could keep going anywhere, with Fukawa beside her. Even to the end of the world.