Lily stared out the window, her breath catching in her throat. The sky shimmered with unfamiliar constellations, dwarfed by the colossal structure dominating the landscape. A marvel of engineering, its sleek metallic form reached impossibly high, seemingly defying gravity itself. Elina, her granddaughter from a future Lily couldn't comprehend, stood behind her, determination in her eyes. "We have to go there," she declared, echoing Lily's awe.
Lily remembered their first confusing encounter, the rubble that wasn't rubble, the strange dress. Elina had explained it all – the future humans, the struggle for survival, the colonization of other planets. This, Type D, was their new home, and the magnificent tower loomed as the key to their continued existence.
With each dream, Lily awoke in the same bland, white room, received the strange water that unlocked her voice and movement, and met Elina, always older, always filled with desperate urgency. Lily learned about the device, a creation of her future self, that only her 'present' eyes could activate. It held the key to their salvation, but its location lay within the enigmatic tower.
This time, however, something was different. A slight tingle ran through her wristband, a sensation she hadn't felt before. Elina noticed her confusion. "The future Lily," she explained, "used the device to bridge the gap between your dreams and reality. You might remember fragments now."
Relief washed over Lily. No longer would the weight of these experiences remain a frustrating blur. She closed her eyes, focusing on the dream fragments. The first time: the rubble, the fear, the plea for help. The second: the dazzling tower, Elina's hopeful smile. Memories flickered to life, each encounter building a stronger connection with this extraordinary future.
Night after night, Lily slipped into the dreamscape. Ten times, twelve... the tower grew closer with each visit. They navigated bustling cities built on alien soil, witnessed breathtaking landscapes that defied imagination. Elina, ever the guide, filled Lily with stories of a past Earth, a cautionary tale of near extinction and a testament to human resilience.
Finally, the thirteenth night arrived. The dream world shimmered with a peculiar intensity. The tower, once a distant dream, now loomed large, its metallic surface reflecting the glow of a double sun. But their approach was met with a disturbing sight: strange, menacing ships hovering near the tower, their metallic forms bristling with unknown weaponry. Elina's face hardened. "They're here," she whispered, fear lacing her voice. "The invaders."
Panic surged through Lily. Invaders? What did it mean? But before she could ask, Elina grabbed her hand, pulling her towards a dark alleyway. They ducked behind a stack of shimmering containers, the air thick with the tension of a looming battle. The story would have to wait. Their mission – and their survival – depended on reaching the tower first.
They finally reached the tower, even more massive now than it appeared from afar – like something endless confronting two small figures. Humans couldn't have built this... could they? But these weren't humans, they were Nano-Humans. Closer still, they saw tiny objects blasting out of the tower's heights.
Elina broke the silence. "The invaders."
"Invaders?" Lily echoed.
Ignoring her question, Elina grabbed her hand and ran. Lily followed with blind trust, spurred by the anxious determination on Elina's face. They found shelter beneath the ruins of a building and took a relieved breath.
Elina inhaled deeply. "Remember when I first said we were being chased? It was these invaders that hunted us. During the mass extinction of Nano-Humans, my parents died. I'm the only one left."
Sadness washed over Lily, but seeing Elina bravely hold back tears for their mission's sake, she did the same. They waited patiently for the invaders to pass, then continued towards the tower, snatching short breaks under the shadows of abandoned structures. Once again, they found themselves before the main entrance, this time with no leisure to marvel at its beauty.
They stepped onto the threshold, but Lily was suddenly thrown back by an electric shock. Elina immediately instructed, "Press the button on your wrist!" Doing so, another Lily of the same age emerged - the future Lily, carrying her memories.
"W-who is this?" Lily asked.
"Remember? There's another Lily," Elina said, "my grandmother, your future self. The tower doesn't allow those with two souls inside. This is why the invaders could never enter."
"Quick, we don't have time," the future Lily interrupted.
Elina and the present Lily whispered in unison, "Right!"
They entered the structure, filled with countless rooms and seemingly endless staircases. The past Lily asked, "How do we know where to go?"
The future Lily reassured them, "There's a lift that can take us directly where we need to go."
They took the lift to the floor housing the main control room. The entrance was massive with several locks, all expertly opened by the future Lily. Even the lock requiring an eye was overcome now that she inhabited the body of the past Lily.
The enormous room contained a central platform, thousands of computers lining the walls, and a large, liquid-filled cylinder between them. The platform itself was caged with iron bars. Their eyes were immediately drawn to a red lever marked 'EMERGENCY BACKUP.' This was their way to defeat the invaders.
An awkward silence fell. The past Lily stepped forward, hesitating for several minutes while taking in the tower's vastness, briefly forgetting their purpose.
Elina's fearful shout broke the silence. The past Lily turned, horrified to see the future Lily plunge a knife into Elina's stomach. She stood frozen, her eyes screaming, "Why? I thought we were in this together!"
Unable to speak, Elina pointed weakly towards the lever. Suddenly, the future Lily abandoned Elina and lunged for the past Lily. Now understanding Elina's sacrifice, the past Lily sprinted with newfound determination, cutting through the air. She reached the lever and, without hesitation, pulled it. The sound of footsteps vanished instantly.
Turning around, her relief was crushed to see a smiling future Lily. A sharp beep came from her wristband - time to leave the dream, never to return. Questions flooded her mind. Why did Elina die? Why the betrayal? What of the invaders, the Nano-Humans? Would she never see them again?
She lost consciousness, falling into the black zone. Abruptly, she awoke on her mother's lap, tears streaming down her face.
"Another nightmare?" her mother asked.
"I don't know," Lily replied. "I can't remember."