Chapter Text
500 Years ago…
“The asteroid is six hours away,” someone announced from her right.
“I don’t care about that," The Scholar said, hunched over the terminal. "We have time. How are the people?”
“Terrified,” came another voice.
The Scholar turned to the man on her right, Seli. “What can we do about that?”
“They’re not listening to us.” Seli looked defeated.
“They don’t have all the information,” The Scholar said, her voice level with a twist of arrogance. “Of course they’re not listening.”
“We can’t tell them…your plan. At least not the specifics.”
“And that’s why they’re terrified. If you don't have any useful suggestions, then I am going to continue with the plan.”
“They’re rioting. Threatening the guards at the city’s edge.” Seli looked out the window at the streets of De’Lasta City below. Every main artery of the city was clogged with heaving masses of bodies. The sound of screams and panic drifted on the air like the sound of an approaching army.
“I am ready to activate the city shield, but we have to give the Destiny a chance to escape first.” She looked to the readout of the city’s only starship counting down to liftoff. “It’s nearly ready.”
“There’s reports of citizens trying to force their way on board.”
“Of course there are. That ship is abandoning them.”
“This was your idea!” Seli said, rounding on The Scholar.
“Yes," She met his eyes with a steely gaze. "and I am well aware that my decisions are going to cause dissent. There’s no guarantee that the plan will work. If it fails, those people are your only hope of survival.”
“Haven’t you begun to see yourself as one of us, yet?”
“They’re lifting off,” she said, ignoring Seli’s question.
A shadow passed over the window as a vast shape rose from the city. The starship had no sense of aesthetic beauty or aerodynamic smoothing. Its blocky form spoke of a hasty assembly, a great monster that had cannibalized almost all of The Children's existing spaceflight capabilities. A chance at existence at the cost of all the lives left behind.
“Reports say people are breaking through the guards at the perimeter. We must raise the shield!”
“Not yet. Destiny has not cleared.”
“People are leaving the city! They’re going to be left behind to die!”
“They’ve already been left behind.” The Scholar gripped the edges of the console as the timer neared the point of no return mark.
A rush of sudden movement behind her made her flinch. “I’m activating the shield, now!" Seli said, his hands shaking. "We must save as many as possible!”
“Seli, no!”
But it was too late. The angry orange crackle of the city’s protective shield snapped into existence. As it did, the upper curve of the energy caught the corner of the Destiny’s engines. A small explosion rent one of the great ship’s tenuous engines. Fragments of hull rained down and oily black smoke began to pour from the destroyed engine, but the others continued to go strong, their blue-white light a harsh glare. The ship was more sturdy than it appeared at first glance.
“You idiot!” The Scholar bit out as she watched the ship continue to rise. "You could have destroyed them."
"It won't make orbit," Seli said. "We must abort."
“They're going to make it." The Scholar's control over her emotions began to fray and sweat began to spring out on her forehead. "The asteroid is nearly here. We must stick to the schedule. I’m activating the temporal engine.”
“Not yet,” Seli cried out, his face awash with rage and tears. “What if they don't make it?”
“You chose to endanger those people,” The Scholar growled. “I must try to save the ones that are left.” Her hands flew to the controls of the largest device and a resonant hum built up somewhere beneath them, the vibrations crawling unpleasantly up the bones of their legs. “The field is stable.”
“You’re going to destroy us all.”
“Maybe,” she said, her expression resolute as she activated the device with a silent prayer.
A scream of impossible energy split the air and white rips in the fabric of reality surrounded them. The last thing the Scholar saw was Seli’s tortured face before everything went white