A woman, who looked much like the man on the display, brushed her fingers against the flat surface. "Hello Granddad, it's nice to see you again. I came back, and I have a tale to tell you."

Dr. Sara Ramirez withdrew her finger and settled down into the chair. "The government deemed the Lumeye a threat against humanity, but they were too…useful…to kill. So, yes, Granddad, they were conscripted into servitude. They were forced to work in hostile environments. It didn't take long for the Lumeye to rebel… with Ayden as their leader. Soon after, a war began." She paused, collecting her thoughts before continuing. "Humanity won, and the Lumeye went into hiding, but that wasn't the end."

"The war was a catalyst for a global event. I don't know how to describe it. Everything was silent. There were no animal sounds, no trees rustling. It felt like the whole world just stopped working." She smiled bitterly. There was panic, of course, but it was nothing compared to what happened afterward."

"The world started again, but plant growth accelerated tremendously, driving everyone to the cities. Building domes to keep the plant life away, the World Government became the Council of Cities just like that." Snapping her fingers. "There, the Wastelands were born, and the world forever changed.

"Then, a new weather anomaly was dubbed the Ripples, so named due to the Rippling particles falling from the sky. It is… somewhat destructive after hitting ground level. But the most devastating thing about the Ripples is a virus dubbed Vine. This virus has a seventy percent mortality rate. The remaining thirty percent have vine-like markings on their skin and some overdeveloped abilities, such as enhanced strength and speed. Quite frankly, they scare people."

Sara chuckled a little. "Lacking resources, the Cities are looking for a means to scout for compound locations in the Wastelands, but it makes the rules, not us.

She stopped talking, sighed, rubbed her temple, and growled, "Will this humming ever stop?"

A male voice answered her from the darkness. "At least you can hear something, weak as it may be. You will be grateful for it. If the humming is disrupted, you better run."

"True." Sighing, she wanted a drink.

"Ha, Doctor, I found it!" a male said excitedly. She looked up to find a young man with vine markings on his forearm, caked with dust, grinning from ear to ear. He had a capsule. "The capsule was exactly where you said it was. It was tough to get to."

Sara rolled her eyes. Of course, it was hard to get to. Cam wanted it to be as undetectable as possible, just as the video logs were.

"Mr. Keel, Give it to me." Her tone was sharper than before. He instantly complied. Now, holding the capsule gently, she looked it over. She murmured, "Yes, this is it. It's damaged, but the DNA is still usable. How many signatures? Six, not as many as the other capsules, but still…."

"Um, doctor?" interrupted Mr. Keel.

"Yes. Yes." Waving her hand dismissively. "Please load up the truck. We need to be gone before the City Guards come looking.

Just as he left, Sara turned to a dark corner, and the masked man stepped out. Most of his features were obscured, but the energy that the man gave off was most certainly Lumeye. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Ayden is a smart man. He wouldn't try to destroy them if they weren't a threat," the man in the mask said by clicking his tongue. "The enemies of both Lumeye and Humans. They are going to have a hard life."

Ignoring the last statement. "Are these children Linked?"

"Yes, I can guarantee it. Plus, each controls a different element. Very rare." He paused. "Second thoughts?"

She sighed again; she really needed that drink. "No, I made a promise to finish Granddad's project. This is the only way I can honour his memory. For good or for ill." With the capsule tucked neatly in her carry-on coolant unit. She got up and moved to the door. Pausing before turning back to the video version of her grandfather. "I miss you, Granddad; I will make you proud."

Before closing the door, she threw a spark and set the whole room on fire.