Lights blurred to life, flickering briefly as if curiously testing those inside the stowed-away sleeping bags before lighting entirely. Yawns echoed throughout the zero-g environment and the sounds of zips broke the quiet background of whirring machines and beeping computers. "Rise and shine, princesses! You won't get a nick of sleep for the next eighty years but that's life!" The sound of groans followed as a team of astronauts untangled themselves from their sleeping bags and floated through the sleeping quarters into the general living quarter. Their suits were casual reminders of their home, of their mission and of those back on the ground who watched them with bated breath. Different flags were patched to their arms but the symbol of their agency seemed a constant between them.

They joked, shared what appeared to be some sort of breakfast but resembled a dark gruel before they floated off to their individual sectors. It was only a few hours after when the ground finally called up to them. "Argo 5, this is Darmstadt, how are we all feeling this morning?" The ships coms patched it through to the whole ship which was met with a partly-enthusiastic, partly-tired cheer. They were all picked because they cared but it was evident in their eyes that it was for another reason - they didn't have anyone on Earth, no one to live for, no one to cry for them when they never returned. Their's was a one-way trip and a silent ending in some far-flung corner of the Galaxy. To go where no man had ever gone before had its price, after all. "Excellente! We're currently coordinating with the other agencies. In the meantime, prepare the Argo 5's Warp Drive." Once again, they went about their work but now with some urgency behind it. It wasn't long until the voice started up again. "We're patching you through to Houston. Good luck, Argo 5."

At this point, the astronauts were already suiting up, their tasks and final inspections apparently completed as they made their way to the helm of the ship. Strapping in, the five chosen to pave the way for the European Exodus ship watched on, almost nervously as the ship revolved to show the expanse of Earth littered beneath them. A husky, American voice broke the gathering silence. "Morning, Argo ships! Sorry to wake you folks up already but we've all got a job to do! We're running through the preliminary tests now." The voice then proceeded to check off the activity of each of the several Argo ships. When those tests were finally done, the voice was replaced. "Argo Ships, I would give a speech but you must understand, mere words cannot possibly reflect what it is in front of you. Your task is not about exploration, it is not about the aquisition of knowledge, but of the survival of our species. I cannot engineer words to illustrate the sacrifice you all must make. Instead, allow me to use the words of another man, greater than I. 'But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.'" The astronauts shared looks as the original voice returned and did a final check before beginning a countdown protocol.

As the countdown tore downwards, each of the European craft cast their eyes around the ship and savoured the final glances of their home. The sun was rising and the large landmass of India shone gloriously. "Godspeed, Argo ships, Godspeed."

"Flight Engineer Berger." The commander spoke.

"Yes sir?" Came the almost timid voice.

"Activate the Warp Drive, Jay." And in a moment, the stars rushed towards them and consumed them entirely as they blinked away, their comms falling silent to the quiet Earth.

---

One by one, the fifty woke but it didn't seem like it was an accident as the lights that had previously lit up the ship when they first entered it were resuscitated. The glass panels still kept them locked away from the main part of the ship but the fact that they were sealed shut with each having their own oxygen supply alluded to something more than just fancy-looking sleeping compartments. Each of the fifty seemed to wake with their own response; some felt trapped by the glass coffin-esque trait to their entrapment and others simply kept quiet and waited until something else happened. It was hard to tell if they had just skipped from the frying pan right into the fire but after a few minutes of angered bangs on the glass and the most of the population of the ship waking up, a familiar voice played through the intercom. He had changed, undoubtedly, which was strange considering much of the fifty remembered only falling asleep for a few hours but he was a voice of reason in an increasingly chaotic situation. "Morning everyone. I apologise for the rude awakening and the pods but we needed to save as much energy as we could. I know you have a lot of questions and they will all be answered in due course but first, we have to ge-"

Without warning, the ship rocked violently and stuttered into a vicious spin as warnings blared throughout the expanse of the visible ship. "Merde! Putain! Fils de pute!" The normally calm voice of J suddenly filled with a nervous stress, as if his plans had been thwarted within an instant. "Listen; go North! I repeat, when you land, GO NORTH! Go-" His voice powered down on the intercom and chaos ensued amongst the glass pods that were quickly becoming what most feared they already were. Another vibration reverberated through the ship but instead of the last time, this one felt controlled. Their spinning didn't halt but things became considerably more uncomfortable when the inside of the ship began to heat up quite a lot. Most of the fifty had grown up on Port Hope and never been to a Capital World so falling down to a planet surface was probably a first for them. The rocking only became more violent as thrusters fired off and the ships' velocity was reduced massively. The lights fused then powered down as a red blinking light kicked into action, illuminating the terror.

Almost as soon as it started, it stopped with a heavy thump which caused the most of them to bounce up and hit the roofs of their pods. With a final splutter, the ship gave out and the electrics flicked off entirely. The pods opened with a sigh and each of those who had been prisoners became free. Silence reigned over the fifty young souls as each took in their surroundings. The ship was dark, not a single window lighting their way but somehow, they found their way using the remaining portable lights of the pods. A metal causeway led them to the main bulk of the ship, the place where they had all fled up into when J told them to run back in the Port.

Each took a cautious look, fearing what it would be that they found on the other side of the heavy metal door. It wasn't long until they found the emergency switch for the door and within an instant, light filtered in through the ever-widening opening in the ship. The light blinded them momentarily before it took form, before green pastures and blue skies danced towards those who only knew steel and glass. The ship had crashed in a small creek surrounded by a clutter of trees but that fact was lost on them. Trees. Bugs. Real, painful, air. Party time, maybe?

Consciousness trickled back to Rae like drops of water from a half-closed faucet. And then all at once she was alert. She jolted in her pod, eyes darting, trying to take in and process everything. Her fellow delinquents were in similar pods, all in varying states of confusion and panic. A familiar voice rang through her ears - J. He sounded… different somehow. Then he sounded frantic.

Rae had been on enough trips with her stuck-up parents to recognize the atmosphere re-entry for what it was – and how it wasn't going the way it was supposed to. The urgency in J's voice rang in time with the pounding of Rae's blood in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut as the pressure increased its tight hold on her body, forcing her breath to come out in shallow puffs.

Until finally they crashed into the planet's surface.

Rae was still trying to collect herself and her tattered senses when the pod opened like breath. She glanced around at the others as she tried to remember how to move. A shaky foot lifted. Pushed forward. Met the floor of the ship. Then the other. Rae stood in the ship with the others, trying to make sense of everything. Then the door opened.

Light poured into the hull like wine into a cup, intoxicating with its warmth. Rae pushed forward towards it, trying to see what lay beyond the door.

"Whoa," she breathed out.

It was a world, but unlike any she'd seen before. Wild and overgrown with every shade of green and brown, with visible insects crawling this way and that, it was an untamable vision, inviting and frightening. Her mouth was open slightly, a look of pure awe in her eyes. The sky above was as infinite as the view from a shuttle, but so much more blue, solid looking as though she could reach up and hold it in her hand. The air was thicker than she was used to, heavy and filling as she breathed it in.

Rae stretched a leg out. Burnished metal glinted between her prison boots and the thin material of her pants. She took one step out. Then another. A delighted smile lit up her face and she took another testing step. A laugh bubbled up in her chest, spilling out of her lips. Rae turned back to look at her fellow inmates. "Well? You coming out or what?"

Ma'am, what was Earth really like?

What an impertinent question. Why do you want to know?

I just want to know what it looked like, ma'am.

For as long as Genevieve could remember, there were only two places in all of Hope Station where she could always find green. First, the agricultural strata, especially the herbal labs—rows and rows of individual plants in individual aluminum boxes, washed out and shiny in the full-spectrum lamps overhead. It smelled sterile. The lights blinded her if she looked at them wrong. There were strict protocols she had to follow. She still loved it.

What she loved more, though, was the single pot she had in her room. The pot itself was a hideous clay thing she'd made in Arts and Crafts as a child, it constantly leaked dirt onto her desk, not to mention water, and the only thing she was allowed to grow outside of a carefully controlled environment was a stunted breed of grass. But there was just...something about it, something older than she was, that felt better just brushing her hand against the few thin blades she grew.

Well, as best we can tell...very green. Like the hydroponics lab, but everywhere. There were even places where they let the rows overlap, in whatever way the plants wished to pollinate. And there were all different kinds of plants. Millions, even. They were still finding new ones when we left.

Aren't there pictures, ma'am?

That's enough of that. It doesn't matter, anyway. Our plant sciences are much better managed, and it's not as if you need to know any of that on Port Hope.

Well...maybe she should have pushed her tutor a little harder.

Genevieve was certain that when she looked back later, she would remember the crash landing in perfect detail—adrenaline would do that much for her, at least. Right now, though, all it was doing was making her hands shake as she stood in the doorway of the ship, every other part of her completely frozen.

It was...really green. Really, really green.

"Wh...where are we?"

---

---

Charlie jolted awake as J's voice came on over the comm system of the ship and banged his head against the top of his pod in an attempt to sit up. Grimacing and rubbing his head in pain, he listened to what their savior had to say. The man on the other side of the intercomm sounded, different, although before he had a chance to place it, the voice was shouting. "GO NORTH," was all that Charlie took away, before the comms went dark.

The ship jolted as it began down towards the planet below, although Charlie had only the faintest clue as to what was going on. He'd read about planetary landings in books, heard the stories, but he wouldn't of guessed that he and his fellow criminals were being sent down to an actual planet. That seemed absurd. These thoughts raced around and around in his head until finally, they were forcibly stopped by yet another make out session between his forehead and the glass. This one though, wasn't his fault.

As the pod opened, he climbed out and into the interior of the ship, his legs somewhat shaky as they got used to being used again. Rae was already headed out of the ship, and Charlie quickly followed, suddenly energized by the light pouring through the open door. His heart raced as he followed Rae out and into the open, and took a deep full breath of air. "So this is what the ground is like," Charlie said, giving a small hop onto the lush grass. He turned and looked at Genevieve and smiled, saying simply, "I think we're right where we were meant to be." Whether or not he was right, had yet to be seen. But as far as Charlie was concerned, this was 100 times better than a prison cell.

---

---

---

---

Avery was in shock. As the ship hurtled towards the ground, her mind was praying that death would be instantaneous. That she wouldn't be left alive on the ground, legs crushed by a piece of shrapnel from the ship which had exploded on impact. Avery had been to a few planets with her mother, though the atmospheric entry had never seemed quite as frightening. Granted, they had never been flying in a ship commissioned by a mysterious man that seemed to be something of a rebel.

The redhead climbed out of her pod the moment it opened, stretching her long legs and taking in her surroundings. The others seemed just as confused as she, but as Rae and Charlie made their way out towards the ground, she quickly followed after them, massaging her head where it had slammed into the glass of the pod.

Avery reached the open ship door and hopped onto the ground, and took in a deep breath of fresh air. She'd been to other planets before, but none with air so fresh. She held out her arms as the breeze tickled her skin, playing with her auburn locks and bringing a smile to her face. After imprisonment, she'd never thought she'd see anything close to freedom again. And now, she was free, and on a planet none the less. "I must have been a saint in a past life to have deserved this," she said, laughing.

---

---

A dizzying sense of disorientation washed over Violet as she slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and in the next instant, she jolted wide awake. The glass pod made her feel trapped, no escape, and suddenly she felt very claustrophobic. Breathing short, quick breaths, Violet looked around to find that she wasn't alone and there were others just as panicked. Some banged on the glass and shouted while others seemed to be very confused and scared. It was all very traumatic until a familiar voice, J, sounded through the intercom. Violet sucked in a deep breath and then slowly exhaled to calm her nerves as she listened to him speak, eyes closed. But as soon as she began to feel slightly less frantic, her heart started to race once J began to sound nervous, panicked.

The ship vibrated violently, Violet struggled to keep her balance and listened frantically for J to reassure her that everything was okay. But his voice was cut off mid-shout and another vibration rocked the ship. Violet had spent most of her life on Port Hope and had never traveled too far from home so this was all new to her. Fear shook her body harder than the ship as everything began to heat up to the point where she could feel her heart pounding in her ears. A red, blinking light went off, illuminated horrified faces with each flash.

This is it, Violet thought. We're all going to die. We're all going to-

Very suddenly, it all stopped with a thud, her head hitting the top of her pod with a loud thunk. Violet felt momentarily paralyzed and all she could feel was the heavy thumping of her heart, her vision patchy as she blinked away the lights that danced across her eyes from shock. After a beat of time passed she slowly brought herself to her feet, taking a shaky step forward. Breathing through her nose Violet stepped out of her pod just like everyone else and also, just as confused as everyone else. A few people had already exited the ship so, rather than wait in fear, Violet made her way out.

Green, more than she had ever seen before, everywhere she looked. Her eyes squinted as they adjusted to the brightest sky she'd ever gazed upon, amazed wonder dancing across her freckled face. She breathed in air so fresh that it hurt her lungs a bit, but Violet didn't care. She was on another planet and it was so beautiful.

"Wow," she whispered.

Jamie Augustine

Jamie woke with a start, unsure as to what had roused him. He heard the distant sound of clanging metal and, closer, his own breathing, slightly sped up from fear. He reached out to touch the confines of the pod that enclosed him and pushed on it, gently at first but then more forcefully when it became clear that it wasn’t budging. After a moment he gave up, realizing the futility of his efforts. When had force ever gotten him anywhere, since his imprisonment over a year ago? What he needed to do was figure out what was going on.

Was this his execution? It didn’t make sense, he still wasn’t eighteen, but then he could hardly expect the Inquisitors to tell him of any change of policy before enacting it. The thought filled him with a sudden dread, his breathing growing shallower. He pushed it back. You can panic later, he promised himself. Once you understand what’s happening.

Before he had the time to fully chase that thought, though, J’s voice came over the speakers in his pod, though his distressed rambling didn’t provide much clarity. Suddenly, a skull-rattling jolt overtook his pod and Jamie cried out as his head flung to the side. By the time he had collected his breath, the pod had opened. He lay perfectly still at first, until after a few seconds he heard the sound of voices and movement from outside.

Hesitantly, he sat upright and saw dozens of other inmates doing the same. A few of them were already walking towards a large metal door, the only exit in sight. He couldn't see what else to do but follow. As Jamie stared with confusion, the door opened, slowly. He blinked against the blinding light that filled the room, then froze. What was on the other side seemed impossible, but there it was, right in front of all of them. He wondered if he was dreaming or possibly concussed from the fall. But the others reacted similarly, seeing the exact same thing he saw. Hushed voices filled the air.

The first to step outside was a girl, and one by one the rest followed. Jamie cautiously took his steps into the light, awe and fear and hope mingling into some confusing mess of emotion, as his feet touched the grass and he took in the sight before him. Before him there was grass, trees, leaves, more green than he’d seen in his life, and above him there was sun and sky and clouds.

“Maybe I did die after all,” he said. It came out sounding shakier than he wanted.

---

---

Steady inhale. Steady exhale. Repeat. A young man resting in one of the fifty pods almost looked serene in the abyss of unconsciousness that he was currently in. Tobi surfaced from his slumber abruptly and his solace was shattered like glass hit with a sledgehammer. Sharp inhale. Fast exhale. His eyes shot open and his arms flung out in the cramped space to brace himself as the ship spiraled downwards. A voice echoed through the pod chamber, and the words stuck in Tobi's head like glue.

"Listen; go North! I repeat, when you land, GO NORTH! Go-"

Even with this new information, Valade was sincerely confused as hell. The only thing he was certain of was that he was going to die shortly. It was glaringly obvious that their ship was going to crash, and his life would burn up with the ship in what would be an agonizing death if the impact didn't kill him immediately. Tobi searched for anything, the last thing he would see with his own two eyes. He was hoping for something poetic, a moment of wisdom before his life was cut off too short. Finally, his eyes focused in on another pod from across his own. Inside was a person he knew all two well, red hair, freckled face, Violet. Well fuck, that was a little too poetic for a final moment. Silently he cursed the universe and the ship continued to fall through the air, to the end of Tobi Valade's life.

Eyes squeezed shut. Sharp inhale. Sharp exhale. Perspiration beaded on Tobi's forehead, he had never been more angry in his life. He was too young. Too fucking young to die a death like this. Yes, he's made mistakes, but he definitely didn't deserved to die after only 18 years.

The moment of impact. Tobi had never broken through a planet's atmosphere before so he had no idea what was happening when the ship landed. Instead of a swift death, he was greeted with a harsh slam into the top of his pod. The expression, "that was going to hurt in the morning," was bullshit, it hurt right at that freaking moment. Dumbass quotes...

With a hiss, in the darkness, the pod doors were released and Tobi was free. He quickly joined the crowd of kids surging through the ship, eager to exit. Tobi was a little skeptic, what if the air was poisonous, or something dangerous was waiting outside? Where the hell were they anyways?

As the door opened, Valade had to cover his eyes from the blinding light. Once adjusted, he took in all in, and damn it took his breath away. Never in his life had he seen anything more beautiful, and he had been with many a dimes, if you know what I mean. One girl eagerly bounced off the ship onto the ground below. One small step, one giant leap for those 50 criminals. More people followed her, Tobi gleefully jumped off and landed for the first time on a real planet. Many questions rang out, along with joyous comments.

"Well? You coming out or what?"

"Wh...where are we?"

"I think we're right where we were meant to be."

"I must have been a saint in a past life to have deserved this."

"Wow."

“Maybe I did die after all."

Tobi rubbed the sore spot on his head, that was definitely going to bruise, he thought absentmindedly. Valade leaned against a tree and fumbled for the pack of cigarettes in his front pocket. He lit a slightly bent cigarette with shaky hands and exhaled a large cloud of smoke. The young man closed his eyes momentarily and smiled, making his face look warmer than usual.

"Well damn, if I knew being a criminal would land me here I would have broken the law earlier," he joked aloud. Yes, he was using humor but he knew the reality of the situation. They were stranded on an unknown planet with a broken ship and the only resources were the ones they had on them and the stuff on the ship. To be fair, it was better than being dead. Not to mention there were a lot of nice lookin' prospects in the pool of 50 teenagers. Leave it to Tobi to be thinking about sex after a near-death experience while being stranded in a survival situation. Valade took another puff of his cig and let it hang in his hand while exhaling. Well, he guessed it was time to start this adventure, hopefully he would survive. Hopefully.

Aliyah Kaur and Rayner Wyatt

---

---

Startling awake was never a good feeling. Coupled with a headache and nausea, Aliyah was not a happy bunny. It felt impossible to breathe, as if there were a weight pressing hard against her chest. J's voice was something that Aliyah wasn't sure was a blessing or a curse, but Aliyah listened anyway. Pressing the heel of her palm against her throbbing head, she used the other balled fist to bang against the windowed panels - immediately stopping as the ship tumbled and crashed into Lord knows what.

The panel which she was banging against in panic before suddenly opened, as if it were never locked. Aliyah was finally allowed escape. Not taking any chance, she took one shaky step forward, eyes blinded as her body tried adjusting to the sudden change in atmospheric pressure.

"Allie?" The muffled voice from somewhere called. Inhaling sharply, she turned her head to look for the owner, heart pounding crazily but she was pushed forwards, towards the blinding light by some other delinquent behind her.

Her arm immediately went to cover her eyes, saving her vision as she felt people brush past her. The first thing Aliyah noticed was the smell. So fresh, nothing like home. The sounds of running water and even some chirping came from around her. Hesitantly bringing her arm down once she was adjusted to the light, a gasp escaped her chapped lips.

"Are you okay- Allie! Listen to m--"

"Shut up, look!" Aliyah waved off Rayner's concern, staring at awe at her surroundings. A smile inched its way on her face, before she looked at her step brother to gauge his reaction. It was just as she expected: as soon as Rayner took a glance at their new surroundings, eyes wide and mouth pretty much on the ground. She stared at him, happiness bubbling under her skin and overflowing, an uncontrollable urge to laugh like a maniac was almost suppressed.

Almost.

She was free! This was paradise! Away from rules, the assholes called Inquisitors and sure as hell away from her execution. Sure, she was now risking her life by stepping into a whole new world, but at least she wouldn't have to be unfairly killed after a terrible retrial. A quick glance at Rayner, and Aliyah knew that he felt the exact same way. She laughed, and Rayner followed with his own scoff, disbelief apparent.

"Best. Life. Ever."

---

---

A small gush of air hit him in the face as the glass pane in front of him lifted. Opening his eyes a smile graced his face as he realized he wasn't dead. A tiny headache was a fair tradeoff for his head. All around him kids were stumbling to their feet, disoriented and confused. The lights flashed on, brightly causing them to wince. Calmy Ian stepped out onto the floor of the ship. He stood up straight, easily seeing above everyone around him.

Following the crowd to the enterance of the ship, he was about to laugh and make a joke about a bathroom break where the door slid open. All thoughts left his mind as his vision was filled with an entire world. The brightness from inside the cabin was nothing in comparison to the outside. Ian let his eyes shut for a brief second while they adjusted before eagerly opening them to stare out at everything. Carefully and cautiously he approached the door, before slowly setting a foot on the soft grass. Nothing immediately happened so he stepped completely out and into the sun.

A laugh burst out of his chest. He was finally free. Five long days... and eighty years if you count the ones asleep. Stepping in front of the crowd of people he turned to them and ripped off the prisoner shirt that was assigned to him the day he was convicted. Holding it up above his head, he let out an animalistic yell before throwing it to the ground. "Fuck the Inquisitors." Most of the crowd was silent as they watched him. A small fire from the crash lit the piece of clothing on fire. Ian stood there waiting. Waiting to see who would join him in their new life on this planet of untold wonders.

---

A loud and heavy bump against the glass covered confines of her pod roused Poppy from her slumber. Waking up to be in somewhat of a shock, she panicked for several moments, before the girl managed to calm herself down. For some reason, the voice of J yelling "GO NORTH" remained a constant thought in her mind, although she didn't remember where exactly that came from. Looking out from the confines of her glass coffin, she could feel and hear others not too far away from her, and guessed them to be in a similar plight. They were in a ship or sorts, and the integrity of the ship seemed to have taken a really big hit. The only thing she could think of that would do that were two main options, either the craft they were in had been fired at or they were entering the atmosphere of a planet.

She had done plenty of ship repairs on Port New Hope, and these two situations were the often damages caused by such situations. The confines of her pod were opened and what used to be darkness was gradually replaced by light as those who had gotten out of their confines must have acquired light somehow. Stepping gingerly out of her pod, her feet touching upon the hard surface of the metal the formed the floor, Poppy began to walk towards the light. Soon she rain into a crowd of other people that she recognised from her time in prison and realised that they were roughly around forty or fifty or so of them.

The massive source of light was revealed to be coming from the outside, through the open door of the ship they were in. The girl watched as more and more people were beginning to head out of the craft into the light, as jovial laughters and cries of joy were heard from the outside. Pushing through the hesitating bodies of her other shipmates, Poppy ran face first into the light. What she saw as a whole new world. Something that had only existed in her dreams so far. When her parents were still alive, they had told her about the tales of the planet Earth and what it was like on the planet. These tales were passed on from generations to generations and she was the last of such a legacy.

She saw green. Green and browns everywhere. Greens that once only existed in the hydroponics laboratories in Port New Hope. There was just so much green and it was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. "This is definitely better than I could have ever imagined it to be." Shaking her head in shock, she said. "Wow, just Wow."

---

---

Part of him was certain this was all a dream.

Ryker stared distractedly out the glass panel encasing him, ignoring the intermittent hammering that arose from different areas of the ship. He wanted to make sense of what was happening, but the only sound conclusion he reached was this was all a dream. The events of the past two days swirled in his head, jumbled and hazy and very likely all made up. After all, he was Richard Kennedy—dullest boy on the station, according to his cousin. There was no way he could have been incarcerated. No way he would have done anything that would only end up breaking his mother's heart. No way he would have been roped along into boarding an unauthorized ship.

And yet, here he was. Confined within glass walls, surrounded by fellow delinquents, on the ship going god knows where. Ryker bit down on his lip until the skin cracked and he tasted blood. This wasn't a dream, but he wished it was.

After minutes of only pounding noises from other pods, a voice boomed from the intercom. I apologize, the voice says. Go north, the voice says.

Then they were whirling and spinning and his stomach lurched. His heart pounded against his chest, faster and faster, as though ready to leap out of it completely. For the first time, Ryker was glad he was the coward he was. Ever faint of heart, his consciousness began to slip away the moment the lights powered down, and he all but welcomed the darkness consuming his mind. Like this, he could pretend he was just going to sleep. He didn't have to be frightened of what would happen next.

Except, it wasn't death that greeted them below.

Before he passed out completely, the ship stopped thrashing and the hatches of his pod were released, jolting him back into alertness. Ryker followed the others as they slipped out of their pods, passed through a causeway, and headed toward the heavy metal door, a lump in his throat and weight in his heart. The others were eager to disembark, to see what lay beyond, but a thousand worries plagued him, preventing him from taking that final step. Unfamiliar lands, unknown atmosphere, unparalleled dangers. From where he stood, he glimpsed the wonders awaiting him outside—lush green everywhere, a welcome change from the blackness he was used to—but there were so many things that could go wrong, that he was almost certain would go wrong.

And--

"Fuck the Inquisitors."

"Fuck, yeah! We're free!"

Ryker's head snapped to the side, so fast he nearly had a whiplash. For all his histrionics about the dangers of leaving the ship, he was all but running toward the source of the familiar voice before he could stop himself. Of course Emerson would be one of them! Although he had hoped and prayed that his cousin remained safe in Port Hope, where she could wait until her rebel friends broke her out of prison, he was glad his prayers had been left unheeded. She'd always dreamed of seeing land like this, of finding bigger grounds to explore.

And, selfishly, he was grateful to no longer be alone.

Emerson was cheering on one of the more keyed up delinquents—the one who had just stripped off his shirt and let it burn on the ground (because getting rid of what little possession you had in this land wasn't foolish at all)—when Ryker found her. Relief washed over him to see her completely unaffected and unharmed. Like always, she seemed to be taking things in stride. Her boisterous laughter pealed through the air as she recklessly hopped onto the boy's back, legs hooking around his waist for balance. She was singing a song about freedom at the top of her lungs, and from the way she grabbed fistfuls of her shirt, it was clear she was about to follow the delinquent boy's suit and make a kindling out of her shirt.

But then her eyes happened to sweep over where he stood, and she froze on the spot, all color drained from her face.

Ryker swallowed nervously. Oh, crap. Emerson didn't know he was thrown in prison, did she?

Velvet lay for several minutes in the hibernation pod after the ship came to a stop clearly on a planetary surface. She could have rushed out of her coffin like cell as the door opened but she thought it better to study her current situation before rushing headlong into unknown danger.

She felt no fear nor even excitement; only curiosity as she stepped out of her pod.

Then the scruffy freckle faced brunette then began to softly sing to herself as took inventory of her surroundings

" Tu m'as promis et je t'ai cru

Tu m'as promis le soleil en hiver et
un arc en ciel
Tu m'as promis le sable doré, j'ai recu
une carte postale

Tu m'as promis le ciel et la terre et une
vie d'amour"

She didn't walk as I'd she were in a rush or dawdle as she watched for any opportunity to gain a weapon or tool. Then twenty feet from the door she spotted a section or two centimeter conduit almost a meter long that had broken away in the crash. It wasn't a perfect weapon but it would have to do

She didn't trust any of those who. were escaping with her considering them all as criminals who'd committed crimes for gain or because of mental deformity and because of it lacking her respect

Velvet broke out into the light and her nostrils were assaulted by smells which she had never known but she didn't let that slow her down as she sought the northern direction from her present location.

---

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Left, right, up, down, and repeat. Ben's eyes had darted open so fast. He couldn't remember where he was at all. It definitely wasn't his cell, it was some kind of containment unit though. He had a bumpy ride, listened to a few words, and like everyone else, he was on the ground. He just laid there though. Staring up at the ceiling pondering over things. This meant he would probably never see his sisters again, or his parents. He was stuck here with whoever else was set free. The fact that everyone here was a criminal only meant that there would be violence sooner or later so that didn't help the mindset Ben was in.

Finally though Ben decided to sit up. It was time he stopped trying to think his problems away and face them head on. He slowly got out of the unit he was in and walked towards the exit. The light was blinding at first but after getting outside he could see all of the beauty and life around him. He might have even considered this to be amazing if not for the fact that he had to sacrifice ever seeing his family and friends again. On the bright side though he'd be able to socialize once more that he wasn't in solitary confinement, so that was nice. Everyone was celebrating it would seem though, so for now he'd just stand here and enjoy things himself with a smile creepying onto his face for the first time since he was put into solitary confinement.

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Tobi had been watching all the delinquents relishing in their first experience on a planet. Some were laughing, some were crying, and some were stripping. Because, that's reasonable right? The young man was staying quiet for once, looking wistful as he finished off his cigarette. He made sure to crush the butt under his shoe, it would be ironic if they all ended up dying in a forest firee 'cause of his dumbass. Valade watched Ian and Emmerson with suspicious curiosity. Now, usually he would never discourage a girl from taking off her shirt but they needed a little common sense. Who knew what kind of animals, insects, and diseases could be on this planet?

Charlie's eyebrows raised as Ian stripped off his shirt and lit it on fire. "Yes, we should all definitely light our only clothes on fire," he said with a smirk, his voice dripping with sarcasm as Emmy went to join him. He looked around the group of fifty or so kids, looking for a certain familiar face. Charlie knew Tobi was around here somewhere, seeing as how they'd been pulled out of their cell together. Tobi was easy to pick out amongst the crowd, with his snow white hair, and Charlie moved through the other teenagers so that he could regroup with his friend. "Tobi Valade, welcome to the ground," Charlie said with a grin, "and please, refrain from stripping down for now. A group of naked teenagers in the middle of the woods can't have an excellent chance at survival."

Just when Valade was going to speak up with some sharp sarcasm, another voice beat him to it. A familiar voice at that, one of the only voices he recognized in the sea of teenagers. It looked like Charlie had made it to the ground too. A grin bursted onto his face when he saw his friend move through the crowd, Tobi moved to meet him half way. He chuckled at Charlie's quip at the teens stripping, and grasped his hand. "Charlie Arcadian you son of a bitch, nice to see ya alive. But come on, naked teenagers in the woods would be a hell of a story, eh?" In a situation like this, Charlie was a great guy to have around, level-headed and smart. He'd probably know what to do. Tobi knew what they had to do but corraling 50 or so teenagers was going to be a challenge to say the least. That's where Charlie came in, Tobi would've just ended up pissing people off when they didn't do what was needed.

Charlie chuckled at Tobi's comment about a forest full of naked teenagers, nodding in solid agreement. "Good to know that crash landing on a random planet didn't drain your sense of humour Valade. I think what's funnier is that out of all the people that could have crashed on a random planet with you, one of them is your ex-girlfriend."

"My sense of humor will be gone when I'm dead, until then, I'll please the masses." Tobi grimaced slightly and looked through the crowd until his eyes found Violet's. "Yeah my luck is about as shitty as our situation at the moment."

Charlie smirked at Tobi before turning to look out over the rest of the Juvies. He turned back to his friend, his grin replaced by a much more serious look. "All jokes aside though, we should probably get these wonderful law-abiding citizens to head north before we have a forest orgy on our hands. I can rally them up, if you can get them to salvage what we can from this ship." Charlie said, hoping his friend would agree with him. He was pretty sure that Tobi would take survival over forest orgy, but the white haired delinquent had a way of surprising his cellmate.

Tobi scratched his chin in serious contemplation, Charlie was putting him in a tough situation here. Sex, or survival, the age old question. Sighing, he decided to be reasonable for once. Girls could wait... Plus he would have to make sure they all survived first, duh. "Dammit Charlie, that's a tough one. How about we head north and then have a forest orgy? Deal?" Valade listened to Revolutionary and nodded, good plan, execution would be the difficult part.

Now the question was, how were they going to get 50 juveniles to listen to them? Tobi spotted a large rock a little away from the crowd and pointed to it. He jogged over to it, hoping Charlie would catch his drift. Tobi's strong trait wasn't negotiating, although he wasn't past beating some sense into some people to get his point across. He'd leave the talking to Arcadian.

Charlie followed Tobi over to the rock pushing delinquents out of his way. When he and Tobi were both stanidng atop the boulder, overlooking the ship and the Juvies, he cupped his hands around his mouth and began shouting. "Hey! listen up!" Charlie yelled, drawing the attention of most of the teenagers. "Most of you probably know me but for those of you who don't, the name's Charlie Arcadian. And this here is my friend, Tobi Valade," Charlie said, gesturing to him and Tobi. "I'll keep it short. Now you all heard what J said. We need to head north. So, Tobi is going to help you guys salvage this ship. Get weapons and any other supplies that might be on board. Also, one last thing. Please, keep your clothes on." Charlie stepped back from the edge of the rock, giving the floor to Tobi to inform the rest of the delinquents on how to properly salvage things. Charlie figured there were at least a few of them out there who could manage to fuck up even that simple task.

Tobi had been lighting another cigarette and wasn't really paying attention until Charlie moved back, he realized it was his turn to speak. Whoops. Valade took a few steps forward so he could capture their attention again. He exhaled a puff of smoke out of the corner of his mouth before gracefully starting with, "Oh, uh. So yeah I'm Tobi and I want to make this quick. I need a couple of you guys to come help me grab all the shit we're going to need from the ship. We dont know what's waiting for us up North but we'll need to survive long enough to get there. Any volunteers?" He hoped they wouldn't shrug them off, even Tobi realized how serious this was.

Charlie went back up to the front and shouted back out to the crowd. "We probably need at least seven more people or so to carry supplies. So if you want to volunteer, you can come on up and talk to Tobi. You have questions, come talk to me. Class dismissed." Charlie moved back and pulled Tobi aside before too many people could come gather around them. "Look I'm not sure what kind of weapons are gonna be on that ship but if you find any guns, try and keep them out of the hands of the less, stable of our delinquent friends, and I'll do the same. We don't want to start dropping in numbers right off the bat," Charlie whispered to his friend before turning away to speak to a few of the young Juvies who'd come up with some questions. Tobi nodded in agreement with Charlie's statement about the weapons. He'd have to be careful, who knew how many of these kids were power hungry, mentally ill, violent, or just straight up crazy. He would have to be careful...

Once outside Velvet observed what could only be described as hysterical joy as the other prisoners engaged in all manner of acts in premature celebration. Their actions caused the petite brunette to grip her makeshift weapon all the tighter in case she were forced to defend herself.

"North!" the voice had urged and in a tone that demanded haste. Velvet for one didn't like anyone ordering her around but she understood the logic of the voice for surely the Quizzy would be on their trail with all possible haste; they couldn't be allowed to escape civil justice.

Which way is north? She asked herself and came to the conclusion she had no way to tell and that's when the boys called Charlie an Tobi began trying to take command. It was their distraction that gave her enough time to remember that the ship would have survival gear near the cockpit in case it's crew were forced into an emergency landing.

She turned and headed towards the bow of the ship from the outside in case the inner hatch was secured against entry because the outer hatches would have rescue releases that anyone could use.

Rae's glee was short lived as soon certain members of the group started raging against the Inquisitors – which by extension, as much as she hated to admit it, usually included her. Her family name and her very visible military grade biotech legs typically didn't earn her any points with her fellow inmates. The smile slipped from her face as she watched people… stripping? Well, she couldn't hate the view but… was that guy for real?

Two more boys stepped forward and started speaking. Rae wrinkled her nose at being ordered around – no matter how much sense they were making.

Rae clicked her heels together, her spine going rod straight. Her hand came up to her face in a salute.

"Sir, yes sir!" she said, the familiar phrase rolling off her tongue. For a moment Rae was the picture of Inquisitor bred discipline and honor. Then the image faded. Her muscles relaxed, her weight shifting to the side and her salute falling so her hand rested on her hip.

"Please," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm sorry –" she wasn't sorry "– who exactly put you in charge? Because I must have missed it. What, was I passed out during the election you held while we were plummeting to the ground?" Her eyebrow was raised expectantly.

Whatever mess she had gotten into now it was too late to do anything about it, at least it probably couldn't be any worse than being incarcerated. All she remembered from the crash was 'go north'. She had to assume that it was in her best interest to follow the mysterious J's instructions. When she awoke from the crash she realized that her head was spinning. blood had apparently dried over her left eye making it difficult to open. Her entire body ached. Not surprising considering all that happened. She had expected not to wake up at all.

She assessed the situation as others seemed to have left their pods. Hers hadn't opened like the others and they probably assumed she was dead, lucky then she had nothing worth stealing on her. The glass had been cracked open, likely where she hit her head, so at the very least she wouldn't suffocate in her cell. No one else seemed to be around so she tried pushing the door open. It barely budged, as if the locking mechanism was jammed. As she pushed a sharp pain surged through her leg. She looked down to see a shard of the pod's glass in her leg. "Puta..." She muttered under her breath in case anyone was listening. It didn't look like it had gone that deep and if it had severed an artery she would be dead already so she rolled up the front of her shirt and put it in her mouth. With both hands she pulled hard and out it came followed by a muffle grunt. The shard was just about perfect for a shank so she tore her sleeve and wrapped it around what would be the handle of the blade. Next she tore the midriff off her shirt into two strips, wrapping one around the shard wound and the other around her head, as it hadn't fully closed yet.

Now time to get out of here, she thought. She tried pushing the door again, no luck. An idea hit her so she took the rest of her shirt and wrapped it around her hand. It would be loud but it was better than being stuck and hoping someone came by. She took a second to collect herself and slammed her wrapped fist into the broken hole in the glass. The crack got bigger. Another hit, bigger crack. One last hit and the small hole shattered open just enough for her to get her arm through and reach the manual release. The door swung open with a bang as the pressurized valves exploded outward almost catching her arm. The last thing she needed was another wound.

Finally she was free, more or less, and headed down the corridor. She had stowed away on enough ships like this one to know her way around so she knew where the exits would be. The weirdest thing was the air, it smelled... different. She couldn't quite place it but it was definitely alien to her. She finally reached the main hatch to find that most, if not all, of the other prisoners were there talking. She was greeted by one of the smaller teens giving her a look like she had just crawled out of a crashed spaceship... oh right. Still, she didn't appreciate his look and as weak as she was now she wasn't sure she could defend herself if she had to. Best to look strong in case anyone gets any ideas, she thought. "The fuck you lookin' at pendejo?" She sat down and leaned against a nearby tree. Trees... there were trees everywhere. Maybe they landed in a nature park in the middle of an inquisitor free city where free food was given to everyone? Probably not. The whole place looked wild, like no one had touched it in years.

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As soon as the shock passed and Genevieve could do anything more than gape at the trees surrounding them, she turned on her heel and darted back into the ship. Part of it was adrenaline-fueled practicality—she wasn't going to just wander off into the woods—but the rather larger and more embarrassing part was something like the opposite of claustrophobia. The abrupt landing had cleared a space of trees, and the sky was just...too big. Too much. To know that there was nothing between her and...whatever was out there...

She wondered if her ancestors had felt the opposite way, boarding the first ships for the rest of their lives. Like everything was too small.

It didn't even occur to her to go looking for weapons. Ginny's hands shook as she pried open the coffin-like case pod she'd woken up in. There had to be something. No proper ship would put people in enclosed spaces without some kind of—

There. A zippered pouch in the interior padding. It took her a few tries to grab the zipper properly in nerveless fingers, but she got it open, and quickly unpacked its contents for inventory. A tool to break glass—could be useful as a tool but hardly as a weapon, unless she suddenly grew the muscles of a grav-ball player; a tiny booklet meant to calm anyone accidentally spaced, which, although useless in its original intent, she kept for the paper; and exactly three packets of beige nutrient-rich gruel. She supposed that if you were floating through the vastness of space in only a stasis pod, food was the least of your worries.

Which—another thing that had occurred to her as soon as she opened her eyes, and Genevieve once again had to wring her hands together to stop them from shaking. These were stasis pods. Which meant they had been asleep for years, possibly decades. Which meant her family—

No. She couldn't think about that now. Not if she didn't want to go into a downward spiral of depression and panic, and that wasn't a very productive use of her time. With a hard, sharp tug, she ripped the pouch from the seams of the padding, put the items back inside, and zipped it back up. The fabric was strong, somewhat waterproof—it couldn't hurt to take with her.

Next, she headed for the belly of the ship—not the room filled with pods, but one adjacent to it, what looked like a break room. Squinting, she perused the walls until she found what she was looking for—a red square set into the wall. She tapped it, the same gesture she'd used to open countless doors on Port Hope, and, predictably, nothing happened. Staring for a second, Ginny shook herself before using the glass breaker to pry the panel open. Avoiding the occasionally sparking fried electrics, she smiled shakily as she found what she was looking for—a white case with a red plus mark on the side, a symbol that had persisted through centuries of humankind. She tucked the first aid kit under her arm, resolving to inventory it later, and carefully checked each and every cabinet and wall panel—all empty. She'd hoped for at least meager crew rations, and yet...nothing. She frowned for a moment before turning back.

Genevieve emerged, blinking, back into the sunlight, only to find what looked like the beginning of either an orgy or an argument. She sort of hoped for the latter.

"Um," she started, then winced, squaring her shoulders and trying to overcome the aura of inconspicuousness she'd carefully cultivated over the years. "Just—just something I found, but—in the lining of the pods there's a little bit of food? And some tools. So, um. Nobody panic just yet," she finished with a weak smile, clutching her salvaged package to her chest.

Velvet soon stood by one of the rescue hatches an stabbed her pipe weapon into the soft soil and grab ed the handle and pulled on it causing the explosive bolts to fire with a loud bang. The 100+ kilo hatch was flung like a rag to crash among the trees about 8 meters away an had barely settled before she had ducked inside after grabbing her weapon.

Velvet knew precisely were to look in the evacuation trunk for her prizes. There were the standard 3 survival packs each weighing about 18 kilos an filled with two weeks of hard rations, survival axe, small first aid kit, water purifier, six liter water bladder, survival blanket, compass and radio which she threw away because it acted as a transponder.

She chucked two of the packs out of the open hatch for any curious criminals to find an fight over an slung the third on her back before stepping out.

Her feet had barely touched the ground when five of the lowlife she was marooned with showed an began fighting over the two lose packs. She was about to make tracks aways from the ship when a tall boy stepped in her way clearly intending on taking what he wanted from her but before he could utter a the first sound of a threat she cold cocked him with a blow of her makeshift club. He fell as if shot but Velvet didn't even glance back as she scrambled away putting distance between herself an the downed ship.

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As Tobi expected, not many people were interested in, well, fucking surviving. Most of them probably didn't give a rat's ass about anything Charlie and himself had said. It was irritating to say the least, at least they were trying to get everyone to work together. One especially disgruntled girl shouted out to them. He regarded her warily as she snapped at both of them with an attitude that could kill.

"I'm sorry – who exactly put you in charge? Because I must have missed it. What, was I passed out during the election you held while we were plummeting to the ground?"

Valade smirked, she was a feisty one, eh? A spark of annoyance flashed in his eyes. Wait a minute, weren't your parents Inquisitors? That's how you got those fancy legs right? Well, I never said we were in charge, we were just saying that it would be a smart fucking idea to get stuff out of the ship so we can, ya know, survive. If you don't want to join us feel free to go fuck yourself on your own. But no, we aren't in charge, but I know for sure we won't have an Inquisitor's daughter fucking commanding us around." Tobi then turned away from her and sauntered to the ship.

"If any of you feel like getting some supplies so you can make it through the night come with me. We're gonna pick this ship dry. You guys know the rule of three right? Three minutes without oxygen and you die, three days without water and you die, and three weeks without food and you die. We don't even know if the water here is drinkable so unless your content with sitting on your asses until your inevitable death I suggest you give us a hand."

He noticed a girl that came out of the ship had some supplies with her, she spoke up. "Just—just something I found, but—in the lining of the pods there's a little bit of food? And some tools. So, um. Nobody panic just yet,"
Tobi stopped and walked over to her. He hoped none of the greedier of the teens would try to forcefully take her supplies. "Hey you," he said, "can you show us where you got that stuff? we're gonna salvage everything from the ship before we head North. Would you mind helping?" The young man hoped it wouldn't have to come down to having to fight in order to ration the supplies. He had a feeling these people were going to give him a run for his money. How could one even begin to try and lead or even help people who all hate authority? It was even worse that they were violent. Maybe he could scare them straight with his freakish strength? He wasn't going to hurt anyone of course, that would create anarchy. He would only do that if he had to defend himself of course. Ugh, teenagers.

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