Diana knelt by the side of the bed and adjusted the cold flannel on the patient's forehead. She sighed. She couldn't help but think about how far civilisation had fallen since the end of the world as she watched over the poor man, just barely out of his teens, who lay on the makeshift hospital bed. It was just a normal strain of influenza. Before the outbreak – even between the outbreak and the antimatter explosions – all that would have been needed as a cure was a nutritious diet, good bedrest, and kindness. But now good food was in short supply, with the humanity needing to scrabble away for every last calorie. And who knew how long it would be until the next crisis after crisis struck and every able hand would be needed to help, no matter how healthy or ill they were?

But kindness, and a kind word… That was something Diana could still provide. And she did.

After all, everything that had happened was all her fault.

As Diana stood up, adjusted her patient's sleeping position, and took his temperature, the door to the ramshackle infirmary opened behind her. Diana took in a deep breath, steeling herself to deal with the next illness or injury. But the footsteps that entered didn't sound at all urgent. And it was only one person, light on their feet: not someone who'd needed to be helped in.

"Are you okay?!" Diana called out. She paused, gathering up her equipment. "I'm sorry I'm making you wait. Just give me a moment and…"

Diana had caught the unexpected visitor out the corner of her eye. She gasped, dropping the thermometer she was holding. She didn't even notice the tinkling as it shattered on the floor; all her attention was focused on the woman who'd just entered.

"You? B-But… you're dead? You're dead! I… I'm so sorry, but… I killed you!"

"Yes. I suppose you did," Akane Kurashiki replied. She strode into the centre of the room, not caring at all the dilapidated shelving only-half-filled with randomly assorted medicine, or the makeshift beds that had been the best Diana's shelter could manage for their infirmary. "But let's talk about something far more important. Is there anywhere we can talk with more privacy?"

o-0-O-0-o

At that time of day, the common room of the bomb shelter Diana had survived in shouldn't have had anyone there. Indeed, it didn't. Akane took a seat at the table furthest from the door, sitting on the far side and watching the entrance warily as Diana made her way over to sit down opposite. When Akane was sure that no-one was entering behind them, she nodded, letting Diana speak.

Diana's voice caught in her throat for a second and a half. But then she finally forced the question out. "I don't understand. Zero's Decision Game, the executions… how are you here? How did you survive?"

Akane shook her head gently. "I'm sorry. I'd like to tell you, but I can't."

"Why not?"

"The timelines gong forward are too important. I can't risk contaminating them with unnecessary information."

Diana wasn't surprised by an answer like that. It was just like Akane had been back in D-Com, and Sigma and Phi too, back before they'd all been spirited away for Zero's Decision Game. But it still stung. "You don't want to tell me anything… okay. I can try to understand that. But then, why are you here? Why didn't you just leave me here, where I could do some good for everyone who survived?"

"That, also, depends on the timelines which are to come," Akane said. "How would you like to meet Sigma again?"

Diana couldn't help but exhale sharply at that thought. Sigma, the mysterious gentleman who'd appeared from nowhere to take his place in the Mars Mission test. Sigma, who'd been the stalwart pillar of the team Zero had insisted on naming after her. Sigma, who'd unflinchingly thrown his life and limb on the line to save Phi and Diana.

Sigma, who Diana had utterly failed right at the end.

"He survived?! Where did he go? You know where he went?" Diana asked.

The last she'd seen of him was when he had lost both his arms in the blast that had allowed Phi and Diana to escape. She's wanted to stay with him, but on reaching the surface he'd quickly been carted off to a hospital to treat his mangled limbs. Those people hadn't known how important and difficult it would be for people to stay in touch. By the time Diana had finally convinced them, it was too late. Sigma had disappeared, and the world had ended.

Diana sighed mournfully. "He let you know where went," she muttered. "He never told me."

"Naturally, I know where Sigma went," Akane said. "After all, I prepared his next step for him."

Diana's breath caught in her throat. "He made it to a shelter?" she asked.

Akane stood up, stepped around the table and headed towards the door out. But halfway there, she stopped. She beckoned Diana to follow her.

"Of a sort," Akane replied.

o-0-O-0-o

So that was how Diana found herself sitting in a shuttle as it launched on its way to the moon. G-forces had driven her back into her seat as the rockets accelerated, to the point where she could barely even move. At least she didn't have to do anything: Akane had assured her that the autopilot would take right to the landing pad of the moonbase.

So all Diana had was time, alone, to think. What would she do when she finally met Sigma again? What could she say to him about the life she'd lived between the end of the Decision Game and finding out where he's gone? And would he have forgiven her for letting her courage fail and the world end?

Diana could have let her hopes and frets spin around each other in her mind for the rest of time. But the journey to Sigma's moonbase eventually had to end. The autopilot gave an announcement ordering her to strap back in, and those restraints kept her safe and secure as the final landing rattled the entire shuttle. Then, once they were stationary, the autopilot guided her in taking and putting on a spacesuit and allowed her out through an airlock.

Then she entered the airlock of the moonbase. She had to wait until the pressure in the airlock had been brought back up to normal, but then she eagerly threw off the spacesuit and rushed for the exit. In the room on the other side, the only way forward was a small platform elevator. She got on and frantically jabbed the button, her heart pounding all the way as it slowly rose to the floor above.

And then, she saw him.

Tall, handsome, welcoming. Wearing a sleek labcoat: different to the clothes he'd worn when she'd last seen him, but it made sense given what Akane said he'd been doing in his moonbase. And he was wearing an eyepatch over his left eye and his arms had been replaced by skeletal metallic limbs, mementos of the injuries he'd taken helping Diana and Phi escape from the underground bunker.

It was Sigma. Diana had finally found him.

Her heart caught in her throat. When she spoke, as she had wanted to speak to him for so long, the words just tumbled out of her mouth, all the lines she'd practiced again and again falling aside in a rush of emotion. "My God! Sigma! It's… It's really you! It's really you. Oh God, I've missed you so, so much."

And Sigma replied…