The Solidarity

Chapter one

24.03.2198

The Ship of the Future

by Jessica Rose Milton

The Indians have an outpost on the Moon. The Chinese have colonised Mars. Now, it is Britain's turn to take humanity into Space.

Many of us in the U.K. have been following the construction of the Ship Olympic with interest. Phillip Thackeray, former Member of Parliament turned public speaker, claims to have been inspired by Hector Castillo's ship 'The Carpathia', which had a successful launch in February '95. Hector, an American tech billionaire, oversaw the design and construction of the ship, which was then populated with almost 3,000 carefully recruited citizens, and for the past three years has been en route to Alpha Centauri. What the residents will find there, or what quality of life they can expect, is unknown; but interviewees at the time stated that they didn't care. It was worth trying, worth leaving Planet Earth, so scarred by climate catastrophe, and starting afresh on Alpha.

And so it was decided, by Phillip Thackeray, that there should be such an opportunity for British citizens, too. The Ship Olympic has been an ambitious project for Thackeray, funded largely by the pledges of billion- and millionaires, although tickets have also been sold (some for as little as £5,000). The Ship has been divided into three 'Classes'; First, Second, and Third. The living quarters of the separate classes feature notably different amenities, though Thackeray has affirmed that there will be opportunities for the lower classes to travel within, and use the amenities of, the upper classes. The First Class, where the uber-wealthy will inevitably reside, boasts a mall, a lido, and a spa, as well as restaurants and a theatre. Such luxury on a space liner seems almost unimaginable, but early photographs of the ship confirm that everything has been done to an extremely high specification.

Thackeray, whose wife Cecilia gave birth to their first child in January, has come in for some criticism for his methods. This includes promising the 'high pledge' donors (those whose pledges number into the multi-millions) political positions aboard the ship, which will be run by a Government throughout the course of its twenty-year journey. This has caused some controversy, with allegations that Thackeray is creating an oligarchy aboard the ship which will cause an inevitably inequitable society. These claims have been dismissed by Elixabeth Teixeira, a Third Class passenger I spoke to who has already secured her £10,000 ticket and will be working as a Mechanic on board the ship;

"Regardless of the controversy," she told me, "I'm just happy I have a ticket. It's an amazing opportunity, to seek out a new world and start humanity all over again. Phillip Thackeray has taken the acorn of an idea he had, and look what he has made of it. It's been incredible to watch the progress of the build, and I can't wait for 2200 when I will finally be able to climb on board."

In spite of the criticism, Phillip Thackeray has already recruited 1,300 of the 1,700 passengers he estimated he would need for the journey. Looking online, the vast majority of future Olympic citizens express great excitement for the mission. 'Who else can't wait to try the nightclub?!', one Second-Class ticket holder has written on a forum for future residents.

It seems as though British citizens will be following avidly until the estimated August 2200 launch day. On a planet reeling from so many climate catastrophes, the draw of the unknown and the appeal of other worlds seems increasingly popular. If the Ship Olympic is successful, who knows how many others will follow in its wake.

Chapter 1

August 15th, 2219

Dong ding dong. The morning alarm chimes through my cabin, accompanied by synthetic birdsong. I rouse in my bed, tussling with my sheets, as my blinds open smoothly to showcase the window that looks out onto sheer black nothingness. A woman's cool voice floods my room.