In the year 2420, expansion to other planets is the G.E.C's (Galactic Expansions Corps) specialty. Many ships have gone to and from planets, setting up colonies. One fateful day, the Aurora was one such vessel set for transport when an unknown energ...
Ajay Donn, 22 year old native of Texas. He has arrived home from a night of heavy drinking, probably consuming three too many. This heavy drinking has made him the man he is. No girl has ever loved him, nor any man. His alcoholism has been a problem since his late high school career, when his friends took him on in a battle of the beers, Budweiser vs. Coors. Either way, he can't remember which one was the victor. He enters his home wobbly and dysfunctional, unable to stand or let alone make visual connections between the light switch or the toaster lever. Clumsily making his way to the couch, he trips and lands, face in the leather and knocked out in an alcohol and compact-induced sleep. --- Ajay awakes, his head pounding and stomach upset. He sits up and stands, still wobbly from the beer he drank. He grabs his head in pain and makes for the medicine cabinet, grabbing the headache meds from the top shelf of it. A knock occurs at the door as he pops a few pills to soothe the pain. "Ajay? It's G.E.C. Open up!" Says a stern voice. Ajay stammers to put on some clothes that don't wreak of ethanol, but to no avail. He opens the door "Morning sir." He states "Ajay it's three in the afternoon, how long were you out?" Ajay opens his mouth to speak. "Never mind that, we need to talk. The agency is looking for some more passengers upon the USS Aurora, they need those of all walks of life, you fitting the lower end of the spectrum. Report to the agency's headquarters for further instruction." Says the agent, handing Ajay a slip of laminated paper. "Oh, and please arrive in a presentable fashion, not one of a vagrant." The presumable agent walks to his vehicle and drives off. Ajay glances at the card immediately recognizing the iconic triple triangle of G.E.C., the most powerful corporation in the world. He took the card and went into his home, then proceeded to sit on his couch and think. Could this be his way out? Maybe this is how he could break his habit. But that's ridiculous, how could this colonization be good for him? He thought long and hard, but then he remembered he had no say in this, he was recruited and that means no backing down. He grabbed his bag and packed as much as he could and threw it into his car. He then drove to the agency. Once he had arrived, he was greeted by a young woman. She was tall, red-haired, and skinny. He smiled as she greeted and took him to his briefing, then Ajay frowned as he realized the stone upon her finger. He however wasn't set on someone, his love was with this agency. In his youth he always desired a way to go beyond his own home. His home not being the house on the street. His home is Earth. Ajay has always had his mind set on becoming the first Indian in space. No, not Native Indian. His family has come from India looking for a better life when he was just over two months. Unfortunately, G.E.C only allowed for natives to be sent into the cosmos, until today. Ajay stuck his hands in his pockets and waited for the time to be in the stars, away from the tyrannical grasp of drinking and the alcohol. Soon he'd be starting a new life, one of desire and hope. One where he can make the difference. Looking back, he never would've thought the outcome being so accurate. He would indeed start a new life, one of survival and struggle. Ajay stared out the window when the door opened and a burly man with a curled mustache enters. He's plump and has a cane of solid gold. This man is the boss himself, Bosan Voss. Ajay nodded to him in recognition as Bosan sat himself into his chair. "I presume you are Ajay Donn? Son of Gerald and Flena Donn?" "Yes sir, that's me" Says Ajay tapping his toe. Bosan seemed so tall in his commercials and on billboards, but being in his presence is almost comical, him being to short to reach the floor while in the seated position he is currently in. "I also presume you have the details on the plan?" Says Bosan "Of course sir, your agent made the goal quite clear. You say I'm at the lower side of income?" "Ajay, I don't say, I know. You aren't on low income alone, you also have a-" Bosan reaches under his desk to a mini-fridge. He pulls out a cold Coors, "drinking issue." He says handing the bottle to Ajay, who graciously declines. "Sorry, but that's a major reason why I want to go on this trip. To eliminate my drinking issue." Ajay turns to the door. Bosan snaps his sausage fingers, "Ajay, of course. You think this little colonization will allow you a whole new wonderful life on an alien world. Many have tried this, but those same fall and are reported no better then when they left." "So why even bother colonization? You say it's for the better." Ajay's head feels hot. "Indeed Ajay, indeed." He smiles, "But I must leave you, colonization starts tomorrow at high noon. Report to the cabin holo-deck of the USS Aurora pronto." Bosan slides off his chair and leaves the room, Ajay then leaves also. He crosses the entire facility until he can make out the holo-deck. A set of enormous glass doors impedes the average civilian from entering, as well as code access. Ajay approaches when a speck of light catches his eye. A piece of laminated paper is stabbed into the dirt of a plant pot nearby, reflecting the light of nearby light posts. He takes the card addressed 'Ajay'. Baffled, he scams the immediate area, then his attention is returned to the card. On the front it states his name, sex, race, age, the like. He flips the card to reveal a code: E3tb8. He glances upon the holo-deck doors and spots the code puncher. He types in the code, and the doors proceed to open. He walks through the behemoth doors and makes his way to his assigned room cautiously. What was the card for? Why was it mostly hidden? Who made it? Either way he wasn't taking a liking to the thought of someone knowing where he was, but he had no choice in the matter unless he wanted to fulfill his goals. He enters his room and sits on his bed. He squeezes his hands tight as he glances fro his hands to his bag. Succumbing to weakness, he opens the bag and takes out a canister and drinks the nectar of a Busch beer. "Ajay, come on, you don't have to." He says berating himself with insults as he drinks. He closed up the canister and leaves his room. He makes his way the the food holo-deck, and takes his food to go. Ajay eats in his room, twiddling the fork around a bowl of Caesar salad. He finishes his meal then lays in bed, staring up at his ceiling. His mind raced with thoughts all night until the thoughts wore him down and he slept. --- The room starts moving. It tosses and shakes and the scenery out the window changes rapidly. The Aurora is taking off, going at super speed in order to lift herself off the ground. Ajay stammers awake in a shock, the room moving like his past drunken visions. He looks out the window to see nothing but black with specks of multi-colored light. The ship is in space, heading to her destination. Ajay stood and crossed over to his door, but couldn't make it since the ship swayed and knocked him over. He landed on the floor and sat there awhile before standing and trying again. He made his way to the eating deck for some lunch when a tall man with dark hair bumped his shoulder as they walked "Watch where you're walking!" Said the man with a higher pitch to his voice "I was watching, but you weren't, staring into your screen of your phone." Ajay continued walking but the man shifted direction in order to follow. Ajay went to the food line and grabbed his lunch and sat in the mess hall. He nibbled on his chicken tenders when the man sat in front of him. "May I help you?" Ajay says glancing at him. "You're kind of cute" he says to Ajay. "Thanks but no, I'm not interested." "Well, I'm in room 56K. If you are interested." The man winks slyly and gets up to leave. Ajay rolls his eyes and continues eating. After lunch he makes his way to the room when the lights black out. Ajay stammers and grips a doorknob. He glances around trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness. The door he is holding on to opens suddenly and Ajay panics at the sight of an elderly woman in rags. He steps backward and trips over a luggage bag and gets knocked unconscious --- Ajay awakes, his head sore and hands weak. A red alarm sounds. Bodies lay in the hallway, unresponsive to Ajay's touch as he moves them with his foot. His chest swells and he coughs, his breathing is slowing. Something doesn't feel right, the lights tell him something catastrophic has happened. He coughs more and rushes to the emergency bay. He keeps running, bodies litter the floors and float in the community pool. His heart rate is increasing, life seems absent from the Aurora. He notices the life pod door are open. The protocol on the plaque on the wall states they open if nuclear fallout has occurred from the Aurora's reactors. He heads in and straps his body in. The door shuts and the nuclear fallout ratings begin to decline. He breathes with relief as he unstraps and rummages around the pod.
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Machines line the walls, and he then puts on the mandatory swim gear, in case of ejection. He calms down and sits in his chair and straps in. He can't stay on the ship, it's too toxic. He breathes and looks to his right and notices two buttons: Lockdown and Eject. He presses the eject button and can feel his nod break away from the ship. Ajay doesn't soar for long when he bounces and then floats. He unstraps and climbs up the ladder and opens the door. What he sees, is one he won't soon forget. ----------------------------------------------
