As I lay in bed, trying to rest my speeding mind, a burst of light distracts my thoughts. My heart races and my eyes blink rapidly. My body raises to peek through the window. I shut my eyes thinking it could be a dream.

The next morning, I recall the event of last night and scramble out of bed to catch the news on the intranet.

It really happened. A meteorite the size of a football flew close to Earth months ago, bounced over the ozone, then hurtled through space and eventually scraped the marshlands of Nyser. Nyser is the place I call home since two years of my mother’s passing.

Ingrid Hyacinth, an astro-biologist and my neighbour, rushes into my bunker. “Anya, did you see? Did you? I’m sure you did. You always sleep late. Tell me you saw it.”

“The New World Foundation gave you an opportunity to explore this new realm as a renowned author and visionary coordinator. This could be your next science fiction. A pathbreaking phenomenon, while living among the thousand chosen delegates from Earth for the sole mission of colonising Nyser. You have to make something out of last night’s event before the authorities zip you back to Earth.” She chimed.

Later that morning, we hop on a Zeno and reach the crash site. I report sightings by experts from every field. “Tell me about your inputs.” I begin with recording Dr. Ivor Manolli, a Geologist. “The object that crashed is uneven, radiant purple, the size of a football, floating five inches above the ground.” He said.

Scientists and geologists butted heads. Professors and analysts raised concerns of safety around the object. Before the day ended, I interviewed everybody on site, jotted down notes in detail for my book and recorded every theory discussed about the origin and whereabouts of the amethyst-like object.

An Astrodynamics scientist said, “Finding a meteorite that resembles embellishing stones in the cosmos that lands on an exoplanet that has ninety percent of Earth’s geology, yet floats on the surface, is a rare phenomenon. But the climate is getting sour. We can’t live here for long. We will have to skip through galaxies to find another habitable surface.”

An Astrophysicist chimed, “We will survive. We found a habitable star in a galaxy not far from here, about 22 light years away. Captain Zinger will take us there.”

Two days later, we zip through a wormhole into another galaxy and land on Kiefer. Ingrid smiles from ear to ear. “Anya, take off your helmet and breathe in. The air is so pure. Look at the ten-feet-tall beanstalk-like plants swaying. Gravity seems just like Earth. Oxygen resembles Nyser. I’m never leaving. This is the final realm.”

On the highlands, we find a crew of humans awaiting our welcome. “How? I witnessed your burial.” My voice quivers on seeing a familiar face. “Our bodies die on Earth and rejuvenate in this world.” My mother comes to me and touches my hand. “Does that mean I’m dead?” She laughs. “No, you are alive. This is where our worlds meet.” Our souls embrace.