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Two Minutes Later

Ep. 2 · When the Earth Rises

한국어
Title.
A small space station in orbit above the night side of Earth.
A red warning light and the oxygen gauge. O₂ 9%. "Warning. Oxygen level critical."
A hand pressing the button to silence the alarm.
Hanbyeol takes off her helmet.
She presses the transmit key.
NO SIGNAL. The tone cuts out.
Hanbyeol looking out of the window.
Recording starts. "Sua. It's Mom."
"We've lost contact. And the rescue ship… they say it can't come."
"The oxygen… lasts until today."
"You'll hear this later."
"None of this is your fault."
Hanbyeol smiles, looking at the Earth outside.
"I watched the Earth rise from here… every day."
"It's the most beautiful thing."
The oxygen gauge. O₂ 3%.
"…I wanted to show it to you."
She stops the recording.
In the red warning light, Hanbyeol lets go of the rail.
Her body drifting slowly up.
Her eyes closing.
Silence.
White light comes through the window and passes over her closed face.
Radio: "Mom… Mom, can you hear me?"
A small rescue craft and its searchlight beside the station; the edge of the Earth brightening. Radio: "Mom, the Earth is rising right now."
Radio: "Open your eyes, Mom."
Hanbyeol opens her eyes.
Radio: "I'm outside. The hatch only opens from the inside."
Radio: "Mom, the red lever. Grab it."
She takes hold of the red lever.
She pulls, and it does not move.
A helmet beyond the hatch window — Sua. Radio: "I launched it. It wasn't approved and I went anyway."
Radio: "…So open it, Mom."
She pulls the lever with everything she has.
The lever comes down and the indicator turns green.
The hatch opens and Sua comes in.
Sua: "Mom…"
Sua holding her mother's face in her hands. "Mom…"
Hanbyeol: "…Sua……"
The two of them holding each other.
Behind them, the Earth rises past the window.
The end.

End of Ep. 2 · When the Earth Rises

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