2024-06-15 – Tim Love (HOL 2) – 01 – “Cycle Release”
“Rain lashed against the corrugated metal roof, drumming a relentless rhythm. Maya huddled deeper into her poncho, the chill creeping despite the oppressive heat. Her gaze was fixed on the churning vortex in the center of the platform. It pulsed with a chaotic light, a storm trapped within a swirling sphere. This was the Cycle Release.
Every ten rotations of the barren world they called Refuge, the platform, fueled by a long-forgotten technology, opened a temporary rift to their lost home, Earth. The process was dangerous, unpredictable, and Maya’s turn had finally come. Nervousness gnawed at her, but a stronger urge, a yearning for the stories whispered by her elders, propelled her forward.
Taking a deep breath, Maya stepped through the shimmering barrier. The world dissolved into a kaleidoscope of colors, a dizzying rush of sensations. When the world solidified again, the rain was a gentle patter, the air sweet with the scent of damp earth. Lush green stretched before her, a tapestry woven with unfamiliar, vibrant flowers. A tear slid down Maya’s cheek, a single drop of hope falling onto a world reborn.” -AI