Through The Stars

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Genesis, come.” My mother happily grabbed me by the hand and pulled me out into the sun.

   The fresh air blew swiftly across me, making the hem of my dress go up. I was quick though to tug it down, and continue my stride with her. She was smiling as we walked down an aisle of tall grass under the bluest sky I have ever seen. The heat was not exhausting and it did not burn my skin at all. The place was a screaming verdant landscape as trees and different plants laid wonderfully scattered everywhere you look. The music would be the chirping birds nearby that sang alongside the whistling breeze. Butterflies shifted from one flower to another. I stretched out my hand and reached to caress the grass as we passed by. 

   It was indeed a perfect day.

   Well… not until I woke up to a broken reality.

   I blinked my eyes until I fully see the same old ceiling of our same old home - dirt and dust covered it. I raised my hand and examined my fingers – reminiscing how the grass felt in my dream. It was so real that I can remember how it caressed my skin. Sometimes, a photographic memory can doom you. Especially if you wanted to keep the thought off of your head. It bugs you and your senses seem to agree with it. It's as if you were really there. 

   But so much for these insipid dreams.

   I stood up and fixed myself. It’s another day to go up the mountains and look after our crops. I don’t understand why we have to do that repeatedly when the outcome is still the same. It gets tiring to risk your life everyday only to have half of your produce given to people who did not even give you the seeds. How funny was that? Well actually, we don’t have a choice.

     I was born in a time where the earth is dying. Yes. Thanks to years of aggressive human abuse, it left us, the future generation all the burden to carry.

    It all started with an earthquake which we now call the “beginning”. Pretty much because it was the start of everything that occurred. It shook the entire world in a magnitude ten scale, bringing the highest of the buildings down – even the strongest and perfectly built ones. It was the first ever recorded earthquake that struck the whole of the earth in just one time. Scientifically impossible to explain.  Well that was because no scientist can elaborate how that could be possible. Humans thought that it was a coincidence, and hell it was, but a lot just shrugged it off. The world was again picking itself from pieces – like the usual back to old business. And yet came other disasters, wreaking havoc one after the other. Typhoons, cyclones, forest fires, flash floods, tornados – ten times their usual strengths. Then tsunamis – fierce tidal waves that washed out cities in a single strike. It went on and on until the population of the world was down to just hundreds of people in a country, from what was then supposed to be, millions. It continued like a cycle, until there were no more pieces left to pick up. The remaining people who lived, gathered together. Built a mini community, like the one we have today. And from them, rose a supreme ruling body that managed all of the agencies of the earth into one. All power emanates from that supreme body alone. And so, we called it “The Highest”.

   At first, it was established to create peace and order and to ensure that the people of the world is looked out for. Erik Harald, that guy was appointed as president of the world. After his wife got killed in a stampede because of a tornado, he changed. He started to impose death penalties and practiced inhumane ways. He did not care anymore for the welfare of the people, and served only the ruling class. The Highest had their own country and it was the only place where there is no starvation of resources. Well, I bet they won’t starve with all the produce that they are getting from us. Yeap, that’s right. We plant our own food and grow them, only to have the half of it reaped by those assholes who did not even contribute anything for it.

    Well, I was pretty much born after all of these already so I have to credit this backstory to our good old Grandpapi Joachim. My bestfriend Rafael and I always loved his stories especially on nights where everyone was gathered around the bonfire to reminisce the old times.

   I grabbed my protective glasses as I walked out of our house. It is especially designed for our eyes not to be damaged by the UV rays that can now penetrate the ozone layer of the earth. Lucky for our skin though, we won’t have skin cancer unless we stayed under the open for more than 5 minutes. As I strode past the houses, I felt weird not seeing anyone around. I must have been up too early, I guess. Looking up at the sky, I tried to find traces of the one in my dream but failed. I wonder how I got to dream of such a place, when I have never saw it in my own eyes.

   I was still drowning in my thoughts when a hand grabbed me from behind.

“Raf, what the hell?” I exclaimed.

    This is Rafael, my bestfriend and brother from another mother. His mother and my mom are like sisters. So, when my mom died because of a typhoon, his mother, Aunt Eloisa, treated me as her own. I still have my father though. But me and Rafael? We grew up together. We know each other to the core. I know every bit of details about him starting from his congenital disease caused by a radiation that his mom got exposed to when she was pregnant. It caused Rafael to have a problem in his muscles whenever he was having too much emotions. He starts to have a convulsion if he was too angry, happy or sad, and doctor says that it can lead to death. Well, that’s because the heart is a muscle too, just so you know. And when he is on the verge of his emotions, his muscles stop working. He drops on the ground like a vegetable. He also has tons of foods that he isn’t allowed to take. He also hates being called coward – even if he really is. I know him so well that just by looking at his face now, it tells me something is wrong.

“You okay, Raf?” I asked as we sheltered under a shed.

“You haven’t heard it yet, have you?” he asked.

“Heard what?” My heart pounded in my chest.

     The Highest. What have they done this time? Another live broadcast of slicing out tongues of those who lied with their real produce quantity? Twisting wrists of those who stole food because of starvation until their bone breaks? Cutting off heads of alleged insurgents?

“Mission Sol failed. Everyone is dead.” Rafael stated.

   My heart almost got busted. That explains why our community seems to be a ghost town. Everyone is now in a state of panic. Well, another thing that we hate the most about these controlling freaks, is the Galaxias program. It is an involuntary enlistment to travel the space and go find a new planet for us all to live. They force representatives for every country to enter the program and send them out to space after a year of training. Which, as it seems to me, is like synonymous to suicide.

“Did you hear me, Gen?” Rafael yelled.

“Calm down, I heard you.” I answered.

“How the f**k am I going to calm down? I’m gonna be the representative, Gen! They’re gonna come for me!” Rafael exclaimed in hysteria.

      He’s right. There was no one else around here that falls on the age bracket required by Galaxias but us two. And since he is the male, he will be the one to go because they are priority for enlistment. They have always underestimated the ability of females. That still happens up to this day. Gender equality my ass.

     I reached over Raf’s shoulder and gently tapped it to calm him down. A spike in his emotions won’t do him good. He can’t have an attack at this moment. Not now.

“I have an idea. We can run away. I will hide you at the Monterras. There’s a cavern there where I use as my safe space. No one would know you’ll be there.” I told him.

“We are up against The Highest, Genesis. You know how they can hunt down even the smallest ants that bite their feet! They would track us down!” He said.

     The pressure was building up. We are both desperate. I cannot let them have him and he doesn’t want to go either. I cannot be separated from him.

“Well then, we will fight them. I will not let them have you, Raf. I will not. Over my dead body.” I told him.

“I’m afraid your bravery is misplaced, Genesis.” A voice boomed from behind, interfering in our conversation.

   Behind us stood our parents along with, Mikael – our leader. He acts as the president of our country. Well not much people he’s been handling since our population is just 233 here. He is a wise man and always has a helping hand to those in need. Aunt Eloisa and Uncle Roberto, Raf’s parents, stood beside my father – crying. They already know the fate of their only child.

“Please, listen. There has to be another way. A way where we don’t have to give Rafael up.” I told them.

“This is the only way, Genesis. You know that.” Mikael responded again.

     I shook my head unbelievably.

“How could you say that?” I asked.

“Listen to me, Genesis. We have to let Rafael go with Galaxias.” Mikael told me.

“Yeah?” I sarcastically said. “Like the way you let your son go and die?”

“Genesis, that’s enough!” My father halted me.

      Mikael was silenced. He was taken aback by my words. I could be harsh sometimes, you know. Specially when it’s with the people I love that I’m defending. Mikael had a son named Gustav and a few years back, he was sent to Galaxias too. When his mission was out in space, they had a technical problem and their ship exploded. All of them died.

“I’m sorry for the behavior of my daughter, Mikael.” My father apologized.

“It’s alright.” Mikael smiled a little. “She is just anxious of losing her friend.”

      Mikael turned to me once more.

“You’re right, Genesis. You have to let Rafael go the way I let Gustav go.” He said.

“But why?” I asked, tears brimming in my eyes. “I am not like you, Mikael. I’m no hero.”

      Mikael smiled defeatedly.

“We make sacrifices not because it will make us heroic. There is a bigger reason behind every choice we make.” He told me.

     After he said that, we were silenced by the sounds of approaching air vehicles. They’re here. I held Raf’s hand tightly, because that’s all I can do.

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