Cyan Falling

So many creatures and species on Earth had already gone extinct, it was purely inevitable that humanity would follow. Humanity had a way of constantly repeating old mistakes. They threw each other under the bus at every turn, ignored global issues, allowed their environments to fall into chaos and ruin, persecuted each other, lorded themselves over others over the pettiest matters and destroyed everything that they touched. It made sense that eventually the thing they destroyed would be themselves. It had all felt like it had been so quick and simple at the time, but then again, perhaps it hadn't been simple, perhaps it really had been a long time coming. One day, the Earth was going about business as usual, thriving in it's own messy, screwed up way. Not so much as it had been years ago, no, but there had been technology and science beyond any man of the past's wildest dreams. Of course, it came with dreadful governments and chaotic cities with buildings stretching high into the sky and smog so thick in some places that it was near impossible to see even six feet in front of you.  Paradise for the rich and hell for the asthmatic.  There were neon lights and flying cars, aliens living among humans and solar-powered roads, space travel and creatures from other worlds. With all of these new things there were bound to be complications such as war and poverty and a heap of legalities and rights and rules that came into play. Thus, the USF United Space Force was founded for exploration, defence and diplomatic missions in distant worlds.  The Space Force consisted first of peoples from all over the globe, then as humanity delved further into the reaches of space, grew to include peoples of different planets, different solar systems and eventually different galaxies. Earth became populated not only by humans, but by visiting diplomatic parties, who resided there to maintain treaties and discuss new interplanetary laws, regulations and restrictions.  It had taken years upon years for laws to be passed that allowed beings from other worlds to live on Earth, let alone ones that allowed them to join the military. The Space Force was the only branch of the military that off-worlders were allowed to become a part of, even towards the very end. They figured that it would be beneficial to them to have off-worlders specifically for interplanetary relations. Of course each division was wrought with it's own internal issues rooted in bigotry and intolerance, but it was somehow always brushed under the carpet by the higher ups. The same had been true throughout history and it was apparent that those in charge weren't about to change their ways anytime soon. The Space Force was highly respected by those on Earth, though they were not looked upon so kindly by anyone else. They became known for causing disturbances and butting their noses into the internal politics of places where they didn't belong. There were some who supported them in their endeavours to preserve peace and act as a defensive line for Earth, but there were some who saw them as a threat, a military presence that wasn't the slightest bit welcome.  Their main base was set up on Earth itself, with an outpost on their Moon colony. The outpost was a hub for species from all over the galaxy and the bar there was a place where members of the USF went to wind down and enjoy themselves when they weren't on duty.  Cyan Woods was a Cadet at the time, assigned to the outpost on his first mission for the USF. He was six weeks into his assignment when it happened, when the world burned. "You got lucky you know, Woods! You got posted with us!" Jameson exclaimed over his fifth pint of beer. "Yeah, yeah, so you say." Cyan rolled his eyes good-naturedly "You can't tell me you miss Earth! No one in their right mind would ever want to go back to that s**t hole! The people are just as terrible as the pollution. They're part of it." Meyers said bluntly, sipping his vodka tonic as he stared out of the window at their home planet with nothing but disdain.  "Chill out, Meyers, quit being a buzzkill!" Jameson said, slapping Meyers' arm carelessly. "We're here to have fun." "Up for another round, boys?" Their other friend, Savannah, asked as she stood from the table.  "Hell yes! Lets keep this party going!" Cyan cheered, raising his almost empty bottle.  It was a fairly normal night for them on the Moon Base. They would finish their training and rounds for the day and head down to the bar for drinks. Though, they usually left this kind of drinking for the weekends when they didn't have to get up early to run drills in the morning.  That night though, they had been celebrating Savannah's engagement to her Vemian lover, Calaudus, which called for some increased rowdiness. Vemians were a stoic species that they had encountered for the first time ten years ago. They were mostly humanoid, but they tended to have a red complexion with swirling, black, magma-like patterns across their skin. They didn't really have hair, just a collection of six twisting horns that varied in size and exact shape.  Savannah and Calaudus had met while on a mission where she had saved his life from an explosion. He was a warrior through and through and was a part of his people's army. Their teams had been negotiating a peace agreement when some newbie who didn't like aliens had set off an explosive to sabotage them. Technically, they should have been at odds during the whole event, but when the blast went off, Savannah had instinctually shoved him to the ground, behind a crate and out of the blast radius. They were both lucky that day, to have escaped with only a few scrapes and gashes from the shrapnel. Cyan thought to himself that they had probably been interested in each other from the moment they first locked eyes after that.  They had worked closely together after the incident and found the person responsible fairly quickly through their joint efforts. Their chemistry together was as clear as day and Cyan felt incredibly happy for them. Savannah, who had been on the force a few years longer, was like an older sister to him and he could see how good they were for each other.  "I love him so much, Cy. I never expected to meet someone in this world who understands me as much as Calaudus does. I never believed in soulmates, but I think he might be mine." Savannah had told him one evening, while they were both posted for night watch in the guard tower. "You two are good together, Sav, you have something with him that too few get to experience these days, something special. It's plain to see how much you love him and it's just as plain how much he cares for you... you know, despite that resting b***h face of his." Cyan joked in return and Savannah playfully punched him in the shoulder. "Dumbass." She said, shaking her head lightly before continuing. "I can't wait to see him again... he proposed to me, you know? I wasn't expecting it at all... I always thought it would be me who popped the question first, but there he was, only a few days before he had to go to Earth, down on one knee. I'm getting married, Cy, to the best man I've ever met."  "Savannah... I'm so happy for you! We definitely have to celebrate your engagement as soon as possible! We'll get the whole gang together, make a night of it." Cyan had promised.  "Hey, Cyan... will you be my man of honour?" She asked, looking at him seriously, but with a hopeful smile. "Of course I will, Sav! It would be my absolute honour." Cyan replied with all of his enthusiasm. "Thank you so much, Cy! This means so much to me! You're my best friend in the whole universe, you're like a brother to me. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you." Savannah looked at him gratefully. "Don't get all sappy with me now, Sav, you'll make me emotional." Cyan joked, wiping a fake tear from his eye, dramatically. "Seriously though, Savannah... I'm so happy for you and Calaudus. He's a good guy and you two are so good for each other. I've seen the how he comes out of his shell when you're around and how absolutely smitten you both look when you look at each other. I can't imagine two people who are better for each other. You deserve this. You deserve to be happy." Cyan finished and by the end both him and Savannah were trying not to tear up. "Thank you Cyan, really, from the bottom of my heart. I think there's someone out there for you too, someone who's perfect for you. I know you say you don't want a relationship and that you're not into all that romantic crap, but I also know you well enough to see through all that. I know you want a companion, someone you can shower with all that love and affection you have inside of you, so don't give up, okay? One day someone amazing will come into your life, I believe it." Savannah spoke softly and Cyan looked somewhere off in the distance. "Nothing gets past you, does it? I don't know if I'll ever find someone like that, but I promise you'll be my best lady at the wedding if I do." Cyan replied, meeting her eyes again with a small grin on his face. Cyan had always appreciated Savannah's ability to see through his words and actions when he was putting up a front. It felt freeing to know that there was someone he could rely on like that and trust with his real feelings. She was always good at figuring people out, it was one of the many reasons why she and Calaudus were so well suited. He was stone-faced and she could read him like an open book.  He was on a surface mission to the Earth when everything went down. The information had only hit them all a few moments after it happened, but he was sure that it had hit Savannah instantly, that despite the hope she had hung onto for the last-minute leaving ships, she had known. None of them had expected it, but he remembered it like it had been yesterday. Cyan flung his head back and laughed as he messed around and celebrated with his buddies from his squad. They drank and shouted to each other, cackling obnoxiously at every joke that passed between them. He remembered the smell of the leather seats in their booth and the wood polish of the tables, he remembered the twinkle in Jameson's eyes, who was sitting in the booth opposite him and he remembered the ringing of their laughter as it died in the air. He remembered it oh so clearly from beginning to end. He remembered looking out of the window and seeing the flare, the coating of flame that blazed hotly over the Earth as though it were being submerged in a fiery cloak. He remembered the silence and the ringing in his ears as all other sound faded into the background of his mind and became nothing more than white noise.  He remembered seeing his own horrified expression reflected back at him in the window as everything he had ever known and all the people he once knew from his life on Earth were burned alive while he could do nothing to stop it.  It was three days after that, that Savannah gained the last confirmation that Calaudus had not made it off of Earth before everything had gone up in flames. He had still been there. He had burnt up with the rest of life on that planet. She was inconsolable. The love of her life was gone, on top of everyone else that had been lost. It was too much for her to bare. It was bad when she was loud, when she was angry and blew up at anyone who spoke more than a word to her. It was worse when she cried, when the anger left her and all she had was grief. It was worst when she was quiet, when she no longer reacted to anything until one day it was too late and she was gone too. It had already been two hours before they found her note and far too late to save her from herself. Cyan had been the one to find her. The vision of it, of her and of the burning of the planet he once called home etched itself into his eyes, into his brain where it would haunt him in his dreams, and he would see it again every time he closed his eyes. There would be no end to it.  So he would live with it. Cyan lived with the fire burned into him, with the shadows of the dead following him on the floor everywhere he walked. They whispered to him in the dead of night and danced across the walls in a mockery of what once was. He didn't stay in the USF for long after that. There was no Earth left to protect or work for anymore, after all. So, he defected, leaving his comrades and his empty assignment behind him in the ashes of his past.  It was a mass extinction event, one the likes of which had never been seen before. It hadn't even seemed possible. Some put it down to a rouge solar flare, some put it down to humanity's own weapons or their destruction of their own environment, and some speculated. There would always be conspiracy theorists. Cyan had seen it with his own eyes though, had witnessed it as it happened and he would never forget.  He went from place to place, searching for something though he had no idea what it was, never finding anything or settling down anywhere. He had so much pent up anger and grief over what had happened to him and the people he cared about. He didn't have a home anymore, nor a place in the universe until one day he rolled up on Neron-12. It was after that that he found himself at the doorstep of a Bounty Hunters' Guild. He figured that he may as well use the skills that he had cultivated for something useful. Of course, he had never pictured selling his talents to the highest bidder, but he had also never pictured himself alone in the world with everyone he'd ever loved or cared about dead. His goals had been torn away, no longer able to defend his home planet, so he did the next thing that he knew: he defended himself, made his priority his own survival. The best way to assure his usefulness to the world was to use his skills to become a mercenary. It was a cutthroat world out there and he didn't want to end up at the bottom of the food chain. He managed to make himself enough to afford a small studio apartment in Dravakah City on the planet Neron-12, and a Zero-G motorcycle that had been invaluable to him ever since he had accepted it as a payment for one of his first jobs.  The apartment was small, a bit cramped and not located in the best part of town, but it was enough and it was his new home whether he was content with it or not. He ended up spending the majority of his time out on jobs anyway, so it wasn't as though he was there on a frequent enough basis for it to really bother him.  When he was there, it was usually just to sleep, but when he did it was always fitful and filled with terrors. He had what was left of the photographs and posters from before the Earth apocalypse either framed on his bedside table or pinned to a corkboard that was hanging on his wall.  The only things in his apartment were the bare bones necessities. He had a bed, a bathroom and a small kitchenette adjacent to a sofa and a coffee table. There was one wide window next to the bed at the front of the apartment with a thin grey curtain hanging down in front of it. Sometimes it really made the apartment feel more like a motel, but his living situation was something that he cared too little about to bother with changing it more than he had to in order to make it liveable. Heck, he barely ever bothered to keep the fridge or the cupboards stocked and there was no TV.  It was a lonely existence. Cyan found that he didn't really have any friends, preferring to keep himself alone. He wasn't really sure whether it was because of circumstance or because he felt as though he didn't deserve those kinds of bonds anymore, and he didn't feel like trying to unpack it all any time soon. The only person that he ever seemed to find himself relying on was a blacksmith and weapons expert that he went to for all of his gear and weapons upgrades. She was known for the greatest and most deadly creations in the galaxy and her name was Helena Fletcher.  Cyan had found himself drawn to her shop upon discovering that she, like him, was one of the few humans left alive after the mass extinction of all life on Earth. She had been born into a family of Blacksmiths and they had moved out to Neron-12 two generations before she was born, after her great grandfather had fallen in love with a Neronian pilot. Sure, it made her 1/6 Neronian, but Cyan found himself latching onto the part of her that was 5/6 human, the part that was like him. There wasn't much of that left anymore. She was a remarkably strong woman, quite buff due to her line of work, but she had such a soft face to go along with it. You could tell that she was kind-hearted just from looking into her eyes. She had a rather striking appearance for someone who was still mostly human genetically. She had deep dark skin with tattoos winding up and down her arms, bright blue eyes that were pure and clear, that reminded him of the sky back on Earth and hair that was somewhere between white and silver.   He went to her for everything, the most notable thing being his silenced N-Striker handgun and a pair of opal moonblades. They were the weapons that he always carried on him, whatever the mission may be, even taking them with him when he wasn't working a job. It never hurt to be prepared for the worst whatever the city he happened to be in.  The N-Striker was a versatile gun, that could shoot various rounds of different types, from tranquilisers to regular bullets, to small explosive rounds. His moonblades however, were his true pride and glory. They were each roughly twenty-five centimetres of finely serrated fire opal with simple black handles. The moonblades were particularly special, not just for their unique and beautiful appearance, but also for their meaning to him personally. They had been made specifically to suit him by Helena when they had first met. As her own small form of silent encouragement to him, she had made a small inscription at the base of the blades, just above the hilt that read "Per Ardua Ad Astra". Through Adversity to the Stars. It had meant more to him than he could have ever attempted to voice to her out loud. Previously a motto of the Royal Air Force on Earth, it had also been the motto of The United Space Force. Cyan found that looking at the inscription from time to time, whenever he was doubting himself, gave him a little boost of hope. It was a reassurance that his life wasn't over yet and that maybe one day he would find his place again, or maybe just find himself a new place, a place where he would fit better than he ever had before. For now it would get him through his jobs just fine. He didn't know where his life was going, or if he would be stuck hunting people down for money for the rest of his life. They were bleak thoughts for a 25-year-old man, barely having been alive for a quarter of a century.   He told himself that this was all for the best, that this lifestyle was what was best for him and that he wouldn't have been able to do anything else with himself. Not after what he saw back then, not after feeling so useless and helpless in the face of it. He vowed to himself that he would never allow himself to feel so out of control ever again. The grief that followed him everywhere could never be quelled and though he had resigned himself to it, he also swore that he would never allow himself to feel that kind of grief again for anything.  With his job, he would always be in control, on top of any situation. He could pick and choose which jobs he took and executed them without even a shadow of a doubt that he would be able to pull it off flawlessly. He didn't like taking too many risks, even in the riskiest profession out there. Sure, he could have stayed in the USF and joined his old workmates in whatever they were doing after the extinction, but at least if he was on his own, he would have everything on his own terms, at least then he couldn't lose anyone else the way that he lost Savannah.  That was what he told himself.