The rest of the day I was in a daze, hardly believing what I heard was true, hardly daring to think it was false. I went through the motions with the leg augmenters, calibrating with no enthusiasm whatsoever. I couldn't keep my mind off my sister. I remembered how, as children we would play together, she would always push me down, but we always ended up laughing, even if I cried a little bit. After Dad's abuse spread to us, we grew apart. Me to my studies. To this day I don't know what she did the days I spent in my room learning. But she ran away and I never saw her again. When I joined the Leaders forces, I looked for her, but to no avail. And now to think there was hope. It was almost too much to bear.<br/><br/>After work, in the evening, I drove home. Not that it was much if a drive, I lived only a few houses over from my workstation. "I'm home Mom." I yelled as I came inside. I put the car keys on a hook and stepped into the living room. My mother stood up with the help of her cane. She wasn't tall, and her spine was bent forwards a bit. So she appeared quite small. She had a shawl around her shoulders. She smiled at me and gave me a hug. I considered telling her about Mina, but I decided to leave it be until I know for sure it's her who that soldier found.<br/><br/>I was tired, so I went to bed immediately after dinner. As I lay in bed I thought about everything. Mina, my mother, the Leader. Thoughts were whizzing in my head so fast I couldn't go to sleep. I walked over to my desk and switched on Birdie. His black orbs lit up with a purplish glow. He walked over the desk and hopped onto the ground.<br/><br/>"You will be terminated." He said, in a voice distinctly mechanical.<br/>"I never should have let you watch that movie. It's creepy when a robot says it."<br/>"So, why have you activated me?" It asked me, voice now more natural.<br/>"I just wanted to talk Birdie."<br/>"Alright, about what?"<br/>"They found my sister, and I don't know whether to get my hopes up. What if it turns out not to be her? What if it's a trap? I don't know what to think"<br/>"I searched my files for hope and here is the most common response gained. Hope is important, because without it we will die. For without hope no one has a reason to live. So hope. It'll make you live."<br/>I chuckled," That isn't exactly how I would have put it. But I get it. If there's a hope there's a way. Thanks Birdie, you have a very kind programmed algorithm."<br/><br/>I smiled and said to my friend, "Command prompt, sleep seven-five. Sleep well buddy."<br/>With that I lay in bed, hopeful for tomorrow, the day our family will be whole again and I went to bed with peaceful thoughts.