21 / 03 / 2029
It had all seemed to come so quickly. So suddenly. Nobody had been expecting it so nobody was prepared. Sinkholes, Quakes, Divides in the ground, That’s how it started the day of the 21st. Everyone thought it was just something to do with global warming or some other crap the government was trying to pull on everyone. But as time went on, people started to realise it was something much worse. People started to get sick. The conditions became more hazardous. The ‘natural disasters’ became commonplace. In a matter of weeks, the world had dwindled to a minuscule fraction of the original population.
08 / 04 / 2029
Broken and bruised, the remaining few set to make a plan. A plan to escape their crumbling homeworld and live. With less than 700 people left on Earth. They used the resources left behind by the less fortunate. Found a way to build a ship big enough to carry a good amount of people off of the surface, and up into space. It was all hands on deck. Braving the dangers, everyone who could help was drafted in to help. It was life or death, and nobody wanted to die.
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15 / 04 / 2029 - Present Day
The day was finally here. The day where they finally would set off into space and escape this fading world. Hopefully, they would make it in time. Everyone could practically feel the ground giving while they worked on the last few pieces to make sure that they would have enough to keep them going during the journey. Anyone not doing that was being loaded onto the passenger end of the ship and strapped in for take-off soon.
“That should be the fuel reserves ready,” A young woman with curly brown hair and a petite stature called out to a man with a receding hairline and aging wrinkles on his face, who was just finishing up papers with the passengers.
“Right, then you’re on next Sara,” He grumbled in reply
“This is really it, isn’t it James?” the young woman -Sara- gasped, wiping her hands clean on a cloth dangling from her belt and looking up in awe at the rocket towering over them all.
“Yes… This is it. Do or die.”
Sara took a deep breath and walked up to the boarding ramp. Her hands were trembling, her chest shaking as she took a few breaths to calm herself. She couldn't believe this was actually about to happen. They were going to venture into space. Just a bunch of mundane, everyday people all scrambling for life, together. She took the leap and stepped up the ramp and into the body of the ship, joining the rest of the passengers bustling around nervously to get to their seat before the fateful journey. Thankfully for Sara, she wasn't alone. Comfort came in the form of her significant other, George. She rushed over to sit beside him, her hand seizing his, her eyes shining with anticipation. "We’re going to live… Make a new home. I don’t know where, but we’ll make it. Together.”
After 10 more minutes or so, the flow of people boarding came to a halt, The last two people to board -the ship pilot Stephan, and his second in command James- finally coming on board and sealing the doors. James made his rounds, checking meticulously for any problems, making sure everyone was strapped in safely and knew the procedures. Once he was satisfied, he went to the bridge along with Stephan, ready to embark on their escape.
Raking his fingers through his hair, Stephan wandered up to the controls and took a look at them all, the reality of their situation finally setting in. This was all real. They really were having to flee for their lives, from the place they had called home all their lives. James cleared his throat and sat in the co-pilot seat, looking over sternly to the 31-year-old. “We have to go Stephan. The quakes are getting violent.”
It took him a few moments before he returned the glance and finally answered James, “Okay. Okay. Let’s go” Sitting at the controls, he strapped in and booted the ship up, firing the engines up for lift-off. “Liftoff in 5… 4…. 3… 2…”
The engine roared to life and the heavy structure juddered as it was launched up into the air, towards the expanse above. The pressure was intense as they shot upward, the ship vibrating loudly as they hit the atmosphere hard.
“Just a bit further. Come on”
“Hold in there”
Flames licked the exterior of the ship, chipping away at the paint as it plowed through the barrier separating them from the vacuum of space. Stephan commanded James to press the boosters, the latter slamming down the button to aid with the entry to space. It seemed to do the trick and a stunned silence seemed to settle over the bridge.
They had done it. They were actually in space. Swiftly the pilot shut off the boosters and switched to cruising, looking out at the sight of their dying planet below. It brought a tear to his eye as he observed it, and he felt a lump form in his throat, mourning the loss of their home. But the silence didn’t last long. It was soon replaced with alarms and bells, warnings and panicked error codes appearing on the console. It had all been going so well, and now he was watching all fall apart right in front of him. Systems dropping like flies before his very eyes, Stephen did everything he could to secure the remaining systems and keep them steady, but it all seemed to be falling apart.
The artificial gravity went first...
… then the oxygen.
Lungs burning, hands reaching out into thin air for help as they choked. Soon the air loss was causing loss of consciousness, eyes fluttering as the last thing they both saw was the flashing of the scarlet emergency lights.
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