Chapter Text
October 15th, 2677 CE; 1250 hrs
"The GlobalRight Space-Savior excursion will launch in two week's time,"
The disparaged newscaster spoke to the camera, not even bothering to try and fake his usual smile.
"All of those under thirty years of age, as per the Global Accords of January 25th, 2514, will board their respective ships and be off-planet by sun down on October 29th, 2677. Those of us left behind have been given our Outs, respectively, and will begin the Great Purging after the GlobalRight Party Night. I've had the absolute pleasure to serve this community for the last twenty-two years, and am glad to know the future of humanity is in good hands."
A lone tear slid down the disparaged news anchor's cheek. This would be his last broadcast.
The usually-perky blonde he sat next to stood up and quickly walked out of frame with a barely-stifled sob and the broadcast was quickly cut. The screen was quickly filled by a familiar smiling face-. Umaba, with her golden eyes, haloed by tight, midnight curls, her smile, electrifying, ushered a sense of calmness as her familiar voice took up space where the co-anchor's sob had been clipped.
"Remember, citizens, that this will not be it for us. Our history has not ended, we have simply moved on to its' next chapter. Buried in your fears, there is hope. And that hope will spark the fires that have always burned within us. We send out our best and brightest, in hope, not fear." Her voice rang through Lyda's mind. Umaba had always been there, at least in her digital form, as humanity's guide into oblivion.
Lydaleigh Mason- Lyda for short- nodded in acceptance, mentally repeating the end of the statement, 'in hope, not fear' as she had for her entire life.
This certainly wasn't the first she'd heard of it. Earth's moon was steadily making its way towards the planet and would make contact in two weeks- fourteen days and six hours, but who was counting? She'd been watching it drifting closer over the past several years, taking up more and more of the sky. The tides had all but destroyed the majority of the planet, leaving a small but hopeful populace to cling to what was left of their humanity amidst this new crisis. All they had left was hope.
As an orphan, Lyda felt she was most suited for this journey. She'd been training her entire life, like most, but she looked forward to this in a way that they did not, in a way they could not. Her parents had taken their lives shortly after her birth, knowing they'd die in the collision otherwise. She had friends, of course, but they'd be coming with her to evade the collision. She didn't have any family to be attached to to make her want to stay behind- not that she even had another option- Leave or die. This was the culmination of her entire lifes' work. Twenty three years of planning, finally playing out in front of her.
She'd seen the ships already- she'd even had a hand in their creation- and was excited to board. She was one of the leaders of her colony. Their destination was Alphaterra 4, a planet sixteen billion light years from Earth. The trip would take ten years with the use of temporal-manipulation, but they would be in stasis for nine years and nine months of it, awoken three months before landing to prepare for their descent. A small skeleton crew would keep things running while the majority of the colony were in stasis.
As a scientific, rather than military-based colony, they were being sent to an inhabited planet. They had made contact a little over a decade and a half prior, and had been given an invitation by the populace to settle there and eventually integrate.
The race that would welcome her people called themselves the T'sari; a humanoid species with a so-far immeasurable life span. The files they'd sent depicted them to be what she could only describe as elven- tall and slender, with ears that came to a pointed-fan at the tips. They looked elegant, regal, and mostly androgynous- truly majestic beings that she couldn't wait to meet.
As she excitedly mulled over information to herself, Lyda waved her hand, signaling her air screen to sleep before standing up and gathering her things. Sure, she was sad that so many would die, but she wouldn't lie to herself about her excitement. They would be making history. She made her way to the mess hall, where she met up with a couple of friends- though she used the term loosely- Tera and Dimetra, for lunch. She found them at their usual table, in the corner, already enamored in each other's conversation. They had always been nearly attached at the hip, with Lyda tagging along whenever she'd had the time. She'd been appointed a leadership position in her late-teens, and had drifted away from the minor social tethers she'd made in her childhood. She found peace in her solitude, most days.
From what could be overheard walking by, it sounded like her comrades were discussing an issue Tera had found with part of her studies for her Healing Certifications. Lyda took her seat at the circular table after grabbing her own small lunch-enough on her plate that no one would say anything, but not so much that she felt guilty for eating too much- and pretended to pay attention to her friends until the bell sounded, indicating another unseen checkmark on their daily itineraries. She shook herself out of her daydreams and totted off to the gym for daily fitness training with a quick wave goodbye.
She told herself it was a comfortable monotony. She preferred the routine.
Her workouts- daily, and often quite intense- never left her feeling fully satisfied. Glances to herself in the mirror were mostly unpleasant. She told herself that she'd eventually get her body to be where she wanted it, it would just take more work. She always managed to be optimistic, even when her days ended in tears, alone in the bathroom as she nitpicked her reflection, chastising herself- 'Just try a little harder'.
Now, her goal was just to make it to Alphaterra 4. They were bound to have the resources she needed to really accomplish her goals. Her future, and her peoples' future depended on her, and her doing her job well- she knew that the weight of the responsibility would be too much if she divided her attention further.
At dinner that night, Dimetra, with her dark eyes and annoyed smile, pulled Lyda from the far off land her mind had wandered to with an abrupt snap of fingers in front of her face. Lyda shook her head and focused her eyes to see her friends staring at her, questioning looks on their faces. They were a pair, with Dimetra's lanky height and deep complexion, sitting next to Tera's much more petite frame and fairness.
"Sorry?" Lyda frowned in apology.
"Tera asked if you'd help her study for her Healing exam, tonight before lights out- I have to help Javian with something, so I don't have time." Dimetra said, voice dripping with the annoyance evident on her face.
Lyda nodded, chuckling. 'Helping Javian'- Dimetra had always been one for censorship in her relationships. Lyda had been afforded a little bit of extra free time that evening, though.
"Of course!" She gave them a warm but forced smile, "We can go straight to the library after we eat, if that's okay with you?" Tera nodded as she ate a piece of grilled chicken. "Sorry about zoning out," Lyda apologized, "I didn't get much rest last night, I think I'm nervous about the trip."
"Don't worry about it too much- it's not like there's an alternative- HA!" Tera tried her best to console Lyda the only way she knew how- by being louder than her worries.
Lyda had learned early on that she could get to know people and befriend them, but that they were hesitant to extend her the same effort. No one ever wanted to ask her anything about her past, or delve too far into her character, as though just to speak of it might make her break down, though she'd never given them any reason to think so. it was simply a dark mark where other people's happy memories lived. It seemed, no matter how keen she might have been on sharing, it was too much for other people to bear, thinking of what she'd been deprived of, though Lyda really saw it as more of a blessing. No one to say goodbye to when they left.
Lyda had trouble remaining present for the rest of the meal, but managed to pull herself together to help Tera study for a few hours afterward. The young woman seemed to doubt herself more than anything and Lyda assured her she would ace her exams. What she lacked in intelligence, she made up for in passion. The following day yielded the result Lyda had expected, everything seemed to be going according to plan and Tera had passed her exams with ease. The rest of the week flew by in a blur, not a moment unaccounted for on their itineraries as time pulled them ever more quickly forward.
The final week before takeoff, Lyda wasn't able to see her friends at all. There was intense training every day, leading up to their massive 'going-away party'- morbid as it was. She glimpsed Tera and Dimetra laughing with each other, visibly inebriated as they all milled onto air trains that would take them to the edge of the Earth's atmosphere, where the Party would be. Lyda found herself staring out the window as the air train sloped smoothly into the sky, away from their barracks, watching as the ground seemed to pull away. Before everything was obscured by the cloud line, Lyda could see for miles out over the land, pockmarked by clustered, domed cities that shielded them from the near-constant torrential downpour that would otherwise drown what was left of humanity without intervention. It was strange to think that at one point in humanity's history, the same area she had lived almost her entire life had been a lush forest, full to the brim with hundreds, if not thousands of different species of life. The color green had been so much more prevalent.
In sub-spacial bubbles that floated miles above the planet's surface, humanity would have the most festive going-away party in recorded history. It would be the first time, ever, that everyone on earth would be doing the same sort of things at the same exact time.
The festivities started with everyone seated, quiet, save the softest sounds of rustling fabrics from all of the party-goers, rife with anticipation. Everyone wore extravagant garments, made of the finest fabrics that the planet could offer, all of which would make their way off-planet in the days to come as offerings to their new hosts.
With a click, everyone's attention was pulled to the front of the respective bubbles, as over a million, large air screens came to life at the apex of the auditorium like spaces. A single, beautiful face spread out across the world for everyone to see. Familiar golden eyes and honeyed skin, and an ethereal smile shone down on them as Umaba began to speak.
"Welcome, citizens of Earth, human kind!" She beamed at them, her hologram coming together dramatically at center stage. "Welcome to the party, to end all parties- at least for now. I am your hostess, for this evening, and will be a guide for years to come- Umaba. Today, we celebrate those brave souls who are embarking outward, to save humanity, as well as those too age-encumbered to make the trip. Families will be broken and reforged tomorrow, so we will celebrate that they were able to exist today." The air around them reverberated with an endless ring of applause.
Everyone knew Umaba, she didn't need to introduce herself, but the theatricality that had gone into everything that surrounded who she was as an individual meant that everything she said and did needed to be filled with purpose, just as it had been when she lived. She was meant to carry hope on her back, even when people had little. Umaba had truly been the voice of the people when they had lost everything, so when her corporeal body expired, her mind had been uploaded. For the past century, it had been her face that welcomed everyone, everywhere- integrated into every OS, woven into their technology the same way she had woven her way into everyone's lives with her scientific discoveries and chipper demeanor. Umaba offered her guidance in the form of an AI, helping humanity to forge their own futures and write their own destiny.
When she finished her speech, the individual bubbles began to fill with artificial smoke and strobing lights, and music began to beat through the floor. Everyone drank, ate, smoked- imbibing whatever helped them ease into their apocalypse.
Lyda wore a midnight-blue suit with a train, made of strong lines that complimented her figure whilst giving her an edge of authority, and hiding all of the unwanted curvature she couldn't seem to be rid of. She had pulled her wild red hair into a high, tight bun, with a holographic 'hat' that floated just to the side of it, like moons orbiting her head, and her make up was done dark, to compliment her pale green eyes. All the leaders of their colony had chosen the same midnight blue color, in solidarity. Though, even with their solidarity on open display, Lyda still felt as though she stood on the other side of a window, looking in on everyone else.
As the party started up, people milled to the front of the bubble, where the colony members sat in a half circle to accept gifts from all of the friends and family that had to stay behind due to their age or health encumbrance. Lyda sat at the very head and watched as her friends and acquaintances took the gifts and set them to the side, knowing heavily in her heart that they wouldn't be making it onto the ships, or off of the planet at all. To her left and right, people hugged family members and unwrapped boxes, and there wasn't a dry eye to be seen.
It was especially daunting to have to sit there alone, with no family to speak of herself.
Sighing to herself, Lyda got up and walked to the edge of the bubble with the other outliers. Two of her acquaintances held each other, eyes red and faces wild with emotion. One of them would leave while the other stayed behind- it'd been an object of recent fascination, just how many relationships were being torn apart by the upcoming journey. Lyda wanted to be jealous, but it just felt awkward. All around her, hidden only slightly by the synthesized music, were the sounds of despair mixed with saddened laughter. A few glasses of whiskey helped to deaden her frayed nerves.
The party ate into the night, and she could feel the soundwaves of pulsing music carry her across the floor as she danced with no one and everyone. She felt detached, like time moved more slowly around her than it did for everything else, moments dragging out longer than they needed to. It didn't help that she'd had alcohol on an empty stomach, but none of the food appealed to her, especially at the prospect of dirtying her clothes. She was somewhat relieved as things started to die down, and it was time to go, a mild headache beating at her temples.
She kept her goodbyes brief, watching more than half of the people she'd ever known stepping out of the bubble and into their personal air cars or back onto their trains that would take them back down to land, to the homes that they would never leave again as they took their Outs. It would be kinder than letting them die with their planet.
Darmah, a fellow colony leader, was having an especially hard time saying goodbye to her parents and elder sister, all of whom were staying behind. Lyda tried consoling her, on their way back to their base on the air train, as all colony members were leaving, but found herself falling short of empathetic.
"Don't worry about it, Lyda- I'm actually kind of jealous." Darmah chuckled through her tears, wiping away what little make up she'd worn with her gloved hands. She wore a flowing gown with cutouts on the sides and an open back, with no shoes at all. Her short, wavy hair was side-swept, elegantly, with a 'hat' that matched Lyda's.
"Jealous?" Lyda cocked her head, heart catching in her throat.
"Well, y'know...cause of your parents." She sighed, grimacing to herself.
"And I'm a bit jealous that yours stayed for you." Lyda gave her a soft grin and reached out to hold Darmah's hand. "I know that can't help...I'm sorry, Dar."
"You guys doing alright?" Eryk didn't make any sound as he came up behind them in his tailored suit, sans jacket, with a large cut out in the back that showed off his ornate tattoo. Darmah jumped at the sound of his voice.
"I'm just...y'know, having a rough time." She sighed, glancing between Lyda and Eryk.
"And I'm not really helping much." Lyda tried to ignore the awkwardness that built between the three of them. She knew they had feelings for each other, and decided it best to leave them alone.
"If you want to go and get a drink or something, I can talk to her." Eryk patted Lyda on the shoulder. She took the out, and headed down the cabin and through the doors to the next train car. She followed the length of it until she reached the back, where she found the only face she really wanted to see, gazing out the window as the world blurred by them.
Master Kayto had a vaporizer pipe hanging out of the side of his mouth and a wistful look on his face. He, too, wore midnight blue in solidarity. His silver hair was artfully styled around his ageless face- his seventy years looked much more like thirty. He didn't talk much, but what little he said always held meaning to Lyda.
"Nervous?" he asked her before turning around, because of course he'd heard her come in.
"You know I am." She stated, just the slightest lilt of emotion in her voice.
"Should I remind you that you got where you are right now through more merit than necessity?" he turned to face her, offering her his pipe. It had been quite strange, the first time he'd offered to share his smoke with her. He smoked several different herb combinations at different times, more often than not a mix involving marijuana, one of the few plants that her people hadn't managed to evicerate as they killed their own planet. She shrugged and took a drag before handing it back.
"That doesn't mean I can't still be nervous about it." she grimaced.
"I suppose I'll give you that, but don't let it hold you back. The whole world doesn't rest on your shoulders alone, but enough of it does that you need to keep a good head on them, too." He stood up, looking down at her. She was on the tall side, statistically, but he had always managed to make her feel small.
"I know I can manage, but I'm happy to not be holding onto any reins tonight." she shrugged. Kayto placed the pipe back in his mouth, looking slyly down his nose at her.
"This might be the time for me to tell you that maybe your parents would be proud, but their weakness deprived us from that." he spoke around the pipe. "So I'll just say that I'm proud of you, instead. So, unbelievably proud of you, Lyda." he placed a hand on her shoulder before pulling her into the tightest of embraces and kissed her forehead.
"Are you afraid?" She asked him, after ten minutes of silence. She sat on the floor with her legs crossed, and he leaned back on a bench seat against the wall, passing the pipe back and forth.
"Not really." he shrugged. "And neither should you be." The following hours passed in a comfortable, hazy silence that managed to make the night somehow much less melancholic. She fell into a dreamless sleep around one o clock.
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
Lyda's alarm went off as it normally did on a day that would be the farthest from normal. She still had to be to the mess hall, but not for breakfast. Instead, the whole colony would meet for a quick briefing before they would board the buses to the hangar. As a leader, Lyda would be in charge of one of 5 groups of 63 people- there were 315 people in each colony, 15,625 ships- 5 million people in total. It was assumed that some would likely perish, but humanity would still continue to thrive as a whole. They were leaving behind more than twice the amount who were going- the birth rate had drastically declined as prospective parents learned that they would never see their children grow up, or their spouses grow old.
It took about three minutes for her to account for all 63 members of her group- longer than anticipated, but she was the type to plan ahead for almost anything, so they were still on time to board their air bus. She did a final headcount before signaling her driver that they were ready to head out. The bus ride would take approximately 37 minutes, there should be no traffic- this day would be an eternal mark in the history of mankind. Lyda felt immeasurable excitement for the future. Her name would go down in one form of history or another. A mark in the stars.
Lost in thought, time slipped by until she felt the bus's engine stall, then shut off- they had arrived at the hangar. She took a steadying breath, straightened her clothes,stood up straight, and made her way to the front of the bus. The chatter amongst her group died down as everyone gave her their undivided attention. Their eyes weighed heavily upon her.
She scanned the eyes in front of her, taking in all of their faces- these people were, for the most part, her responsibility for the foreseeable future.
"As per the briefing, we will exit the air bus, single file, and head towards the doors in an orderly fashion. Does everyone have their badges?" Everyone held up their badges, simple key cards with a holographic display of their personal identification that could be scanned into their cryogenic pods. Lyda nodded. Her group ranged in age from 13 to 30, young men and women in peak physical and mental condition, per their training- their chances of survival were high, she had done the math- statistics could keep you alive.
"Good, if you lose that badge, I can't guarantee anything. You are ultimately responsible for yourself, here, understood?" It was a small lie that would pay for itself later.
There was a resounding "Yes Ser!" throughout the cabin of the bus.
She nodded again before turning on her heel and exiting the bus, standing to the side, to account for everyone getting off before making her way back to the front of their ranks. She led all 63 of them, beaming with excitement or fear-in some cases both- into the hangar. She was still in awe of it, looking at all of the ships in the massive metal space, and all of the people, milling about in a militant fashion.
They had all donned skin-suits -body suits made of a micro polymer that would easily survive being frozen during the almost decade long slumber while protecting their delicate humanity beneath- for the cryo chambers. Once readied, the group made their way to line up with the rest of their colony, while Lyda separated, joining her fellow group leaders. They would survey everyone and board directly after the rest of the colony.
Given everyone's training, boarding was a fairly quick process. No one in her colony acted out, or called alarm, ever respectful of the attendants who helped them. The fear of imminent death made for good motivation.
Each colony was led onto the ship through five different entrances- the ships would separate into individual colonies once into deeper space, they were connected for ease of exit. The layout of the ship made it so that the stasis chambers were at the bottom, stacked on top of each other in six levels- Group 1 to the first level, 2 to the second, and so on, with the highest level consisting of only five chambers. Above that were the living quarters, separated by group as well, then the mess hall and infirmary, then the recreation area, greenhouse, and training stations, then finally, at the tip of the ship, the bridge and the observatory that also housed the captain's quarters.
It took a little over three hours for the entirety of the colony, save the leaders, to be put into stasis sleep. Lyda followed the stasis technician, a woman of roughly 50 years who had volunteered, to the top of the stasis chambers via a narrow metal staircase. The woman looked to Lyda and her four compatriots, trying hard and failing to hide the sadness in her eyes with a well practiced smile.
"Who wants to go first?" She asked in a tone that Lyda could only describe as motherly.
She knew that none of them wanted to be last- they had discussed it several days prior. Lane, leader of the second group, would go first, followed by Ymarah, of group four, then Eryk, of group five, Darmah, of group one, finally followed by Lydaleigh, leader of group three.
She watched each of them be 'put to sleep' making sure to pay extra attention to the steps the technician took, so they would be fresh in her mind if she needed to repeat the process on the off-off chance that she awoke too early. When it was her turn, she felt a little twinge of excitement. She took in the utter stillness that surrounded her, and gave her warmest smile to the technician before she shook herself to steady her mind.
She gingerly climbed into her stasis chamber. The nanomesh was warm against her skin, undulating around her as it encased her body. The technician looked right at her, then, smiling sweetly as a single tear slid from the corner of her eye. Lyda felt the slight sting as thousands of microneedles were inserted into her skin, injecting her with the stasis serum. The last thing she remembered before her vision faded was that sad smile on the woman's face as she pressed a button, sliding shut the door to her chamber.
"We move forward in hope, not fear." Umaba's voice played through her mind as the stasis pulled consciousness away from her and the world went dark.