Jala, hearing what happened in Astoria, leaves the Thread and checks up on Rain in the Colanian Medical Center.
"Hey there, sweetie.", says Jala, sitting next to Rain in her hospital bed.
"Hi, mom.", says Rain.
"Are you okay?", asks Jala, giving Rain a small treat. "I bought you this on the way here. Hope you'll like it."
"Thanks, mom!", says Rain, trying to stand up. "I can barely feel my legs.."
Jala looks in worry. "Stay here. I'll get Futurum to deal with you."
Jala leaves the room and grabs her phone. She calls Futurum.
"Hey, Futurum. It's me, Jala. Could you get to the hospital here? I'm sending you my location. I want you to quickly heal Rain."
"Gotcha, Jala. On my way~", says Futurum on the phone.
Jala returns to Rain's room and waits for Futurum.
After a while, Futurum enters the hospital. She gets herself identified at the entrance.
"I'm here to take care of miss Rain Usen. Here's my Intelligence ID.", says Futurum to the doorman.
He takes a look at Futurum's ID. He scans it as valid.
"Miss Vennur, welcome in. I'll escort you to her room.", says the doorman.
After a few minutes, the doorman leaves Futurum in front of the door. "Miss Usen is located here. Your healing magic will surely help her healing process."
"Of course. If any of you doctors need me, I'll be glad to heal more people too. There's time till the second EXPO starts~", says Futurum, giving the doorman her Intelligent contact info.
"I'll let the doctors know.", says the doorman before leaving.
Futurum knocks and enters the room slowly. She notices Rain and Jala. Jala greets her with a smile, while Rain waves.
"Let's see, what are we dealing with here…", says Futurum. Just then, both her eyes glow, and her irises turn green. Her voice deepens.
"A mix of blood loss and skin issues. Simple."
Futurum touches Rain's skin. "Multiply plasma and water with hemoglobin and electrolytes..". Anything Futurum says makes no sense to Rain. She only knows basic biology.
After a few minutes, Rain can fell her legs normally and move them without pain. "Thank you, Futurum!!", says Rain, standing up from the bed, hugging Futurum.
"You're welcome.", says Futurum.
During the entire process, Jala was on her phone, until she found out about something called the 'Anti-Cremation Machine'.
"Hey, Futurum. There's this thing called the Anti-Cremation Machine in your Intelligence Department. Is it possible to revive cremated people like that?", asks Jala.
"Very unlikely. You need 100% of the ashes, and all their memories stored somewhere. It's a very very complicated process.", says Futurum. "Do you want to try and bring Luvin back?"
"Yes. I want to at least try.", says Jala.
Rain heard everything, her eyes sparkling at the thought of possibly seeing her dad again. "Let's try!!"
Futurum sighs, and gives them both a notice. "This is a risky process. If you want to try and revive Luvin like this, there's a chance his memories get wiped, or that his body turns into mush. Are you 100% sure you want this?"
"I'll try anything to see my husband/father again.", say Jala and Rain at once.
"The Usen bond is interesting. It's not like that of an average family. I respect that. Well, then. Let's do it at the next EXPO.", says Futurum.
Jala returns to the Thread, and searches for Luvin's urn, the one Rain hugged during the ascent to space half a year ago.
She enters Rain's room and finds it instantly, and takes it.
"Luvin. There must be something more than just a radiation mistake.", thinks Jala in her head.
Several days later. Month of Leaves, Day 27, 2175 2SE.
"Tomorrow is the day. Dad, what are you hiding?", thinks Rain. Jala sees Rain, tightly hugging her dad's urn. She looks focused. "These Scientists. They probably knew.", she thinks.
Everybody in the crew is in the room. Rain looks at everybody and calls the meeting.
"Okay, everybody. Tomorrow, we may have a chance to reunite with the Eternal Leader of our Thread, also known as my dad, Luvin Usen.", says Rain.
"I expect everyone to be there as his ashes turn back into his body. We have everything needed. His full body image from the UHC, his recorded memories from Starma and the Galactic Center, and his memories as a member of the Usen family on Earth."
As the time draws nearer, Rain starts to feel more anxious.
"It's been over a decade… Half a universal century… Dad, please get back..", thinks Rain in her head. All her memories with Luvin fill her mind, and she starts to tear up in nostalgia.
[20 Solar years ago, in Badima, on Earth]
"Dad! I want to travel the stars with you!", says little Rain.
Luvin chuckles. "We'll travel the stars, no matter what."
Rain's eyes sparkle in excitement.
[A few hours later]
"A small girl, achieving the unachieved after millennia. Luvin, you have outsmarted yourself with your plan.", says Jala. Rain is painting the image of the Thread on the paper.
Rain approaches Luvin and shows him her drawing.
"Dad! Dad! Look! I made us go around stars!", says Rain, jumping hilariously
Luvin takes the picture and shows it to Jala. "Rainy, where is mom?", asks Luvin.
"Mom is behind us! She is making good pie!", says Rain in a cute tone as her stomach growls.
"I think somebody wants pie~", says Jala. "I'll get cooking."
"I'll go with you.", says Luvin.
In the kitchen, Jala asks Luvin: "Luvin. What if they catch you?"
"You mean the Scientists? I doubt it. But still.. If they kill me for catching me, do not let Rain know until she's ready.", says Luvin. "Even so, if I do end up joining her or not, I know that the Scientists will wage war on the Thread no matter what."
"And how do you want to prevent that?", asks Jala, accidentally cutting herself with a kitchen knife.
"With you. Once you don't hear from the Thread or they announce their death, go look for them. They will wage war, but I want Rain to deal with it with somebody who has been there since her birth.", says Luvin.
Jala tears up. "I'll do my best."
"And, as soon as possible, if I ever die, let Kael know, and let Julian know. Got it?", says Luvin, hugging Jala.
"I will.", says Jala, embracing Luvin's hug. "Everything for Rain, and everything to have her be the one to get rid of her rule."
[20 years later]
"What is my destination?", thinks Rain. "Protect the universe?" "Defeat somebody?"
"What is it??"
Just then, Jala's voice can be heard. "The Corporation. The tyranny of all major factions. Restore the Milky Way and reconnect it to the rest of the Universe."
However, Jala is nowhere to be seen. Rain senses the vibrations as Jala speaks into the earring that Jala gave her.
"Mom, you're so… ugh, why don't you just tell me to my face..", exhales Rain.
"It's more fun this way~", says Jala through the earring.
Rain chuckles. "true", she murmurs. "However, something makes zero sense. Why is the UHC a problem? They're our allies. Our dad was a huge part in it!"
Jala nods, and replies: "Do you know who Lucia Voss is?"
Rain nods in agreement. "We had a few issues with her in Almatia."
"She wants to do some unknown things. As much as I know from Luvin, both Julian, more known as The Leader and you guys are in trouble."
Rain thinks. "So, some kind of tyrannical rule?"
"That counts, yeah.", says Jala.
"Hm… okay.", says Rain. Jala's voice goes distant after that.
One day later, in Futurum's room.
"Okay, so these are Mr. Usen's ashes, and that is the 'Anti-Cremation Machine'. For your information, this is not a 100% safe way to bring somebody back. Matter of fact, the chance of succeeding are basically zero. Are you sure you want to try going forward?", says Futurum.
"I'm sure.", says Jala.
"Okay. Stay back, everyone.", says Futurum.
She opens Luvin's urn and spreads his ashes around the machine, and turns it on. A second later, the ashes start glowing and forming a small body, comparable to a fetus. The body develops, and a few seconds after that, it grows to Luvin's size.
The machine stops with a red alarm blinking.
'Event failed. Body created; memories unknown. Identity: Unknown.'
"…Unknown identity? That is clearly Luvin's memories, and his body!", says Rain.
"Either the body is completely unable to be recreated, or the memories are not the same. Or the ashes belong to somebody else. I don't know.", says Futurum.
The machine recremates the body, and Futurum puts it all back into the urn, and hands it to Jala. "I'm sorry, Jala. The machine is unable to complete your request."
"That's fine. I just wish he knew what his daughter turned into. He'd be the proudest father ever.", says Jala with a few tears on her face.
After a few minutes of discussion, Jala leaves back for the Thread.