Universe

Destiny, Chapter 1

SEGA Execution Chamber #03

The man to be executed, in front of the SEGA, was not from this planet. Nor was he from within the solar system. Yet, he looked remarkably like a human. Perhaps that's why he managed to evade them for so long. The only tell was the way the hue of his eyes fluctuated. Sometimes, they were cobalt blue, and others a misty grey. But right now, as he was forced into the headlock of the laser guillotine, they were comparable to the fire of a thousand stars.

"Qo'rillo of the planet Atlas, you are hereby sentenced to execution at the hands of the Super-Earth Governmental Alliance, for reasons of espionage and extreme terrorism," One man said. He was draped in the black robes typical of SEGA employees on execution days – as though by discarding the robes later that day could somehow make them forget about the execution – while gripping a paper-thin tablet, bearing scrolling text.

Qo'rillo wasn't afraid. He had travelled millions of light years, aeons and aeons, to end up on Super-Earth. He had completed his research – though the people of this planet just saw it as spying. He just hadn't quite gotten to execute the final part of his plan.

"Harmony..." Qo'rillo said, deep in his breath. It was soft, and since the guillotine was an automated laser ray, ready to behead him in one swift zap, there was no one close to hear. They all cowered from the murder, on the bleachers that surrounded the execution room like a stadium.

"Pursuant to the SEGA Execution Legislation, you are permitted one final speech that will be recorded and issued to closest family and friends," the man rambled on. But Qo'rillo already had a speech prepared. "What would you like to be recorded? You are permitted to speak."

The man was used to being spat harsh last words at; Fuck you was common, or even Eat my dick. Everyone wanted to go out with a bang. But not Qo'rillo – he had a very specific message that he had chosen a few nights ago, to put the final stage of his plan into action.

"Harmony," the fugitive said. His voice was strong, loud, and echoed inside the chrome execution chamber. The scattered bodies, spectating from the bleachers, furrowed their eyebrows. They didn't understand. "Harmony is the future. Coming of his eighteenth birthday, he will rise. He will lead Atlas into new light, and Super-Earth will fall."

Another encased in black robes, sitting next to the man who had spoken, tapped away at a tablet. Then, he nodded to the other man, and the other man nodded to a couple of guys cooped away in a control room in the back of the room.

And without a second of passing, before the criminal could take a final breath, the control guys stabbed at a big red button. The laser fizzled high above the terrorist's head. Then, it slammed down, creating a clean cut between Qo'rillo's body, and his head.

Blood spluttered everywhere, directing itself through the gutters in the floor, and down into the drains. The last thing to be uttered in that deathly room, were the words of the speaking man.

"Find out who this Harmony is, and kill him."

Sunnyside High School

"Harmony! Over here," Vac shouted, her voice barely carrying through the buzzing cafeteria. She swooshed her bleach blonde hair over her shoulder as though she was too used to it, and fashioned a small wave at the directionless boy in the corner of the room.

He met her eyes with a keen delight, and begun to snake his way around the white plastic cafeteria benches. He never understood why every room in the school had to be a non-descript white from wall to wall, ceiling to floor. Or why every furnishing was plastic white. Or how nothing ever got dirt scuffed up it, so it looked sterile and hospitile every single second.

"Hey guys," Harmony said, he one-handed hugged Vac (it was kind of standard routine whenever they saw each other), and gave a warm smile to the other two sat at the table: Ethian was a friend of Harmony's since he was younger, and Mila was a newcomer to the friendship group, courtesy of being Vac's girlfriend. They both smiled back.

"Have you guys had History this week?" Mila said as Vac slipped into the cafeteria bench next to her. Ethian passed his box of orange juice over to Harmony, as he did every day; it sucked being allergic to fruit juice. Mila went on: "Apparently back in the olden days, people had to use this thing called a landline to call their friends..."

"Sounds gross," Vac laughed.

"And sometimes, they would have to talk to their friends' parents first," she followed up with a dramatic silence.

"Nope, couldn't do that," Ethian said, sinking his teeth into the tough cold pizza. He had to yank his head a fair few times before he could rip off a chunk of the chewy slab.

The four fell into conversation about how thankful they were for the invention of the Oculus, a smartphone that slipped into one eye, like a contact lens. Though, they weren't allowed them in during school – if any were activated in the school building, the user would be punished. They discussed how hard it must have been to live in a world where you had to carry around a smartphone. 'Apparently is was the size of a credit card!' someone had said.

Away from their deep conversation, they didn't realize a commotion entering the cafeteria. First off, a tall, slender man, dressed in a white suit and dusted with icing sugar hair, entered the room – the people standing by the entrance stopped and turned, because it was exceptionally strange to see the principal at all, never mind in the cafeteria. Most schoolkids believed he was a vampire that lived without food and human interaction.

Following him were several men dressed in black army wear, bearing the SEGA logo on their left breast. The kids in the cafeteria began to back away from the militants. It was only when everyone was looking in their direction that the four stopped talking.

"What's everyone looking at?" Vac whispered, though her voice carried far in the now silent room.

"There he is!" the principal said. His voice was deep and low, and strange to hear as he never usually spoke. His thin, nimbly finger pointed at Harmony, who slowly rose from his feet.

"What's going-" before he could finish, the militants broke into a run, wielding guns and pointing them at Harmony. They cried a series of stops and catch hims, and the room filled quickly with the thundering of footsteps. It was only a few seconds of overwhelmed confusion, hitting him like a wave and dragging him under, until someone clad in black gear tackled Harmony to the ground.

He whipped his head around, struggled beneath the weight of the soldier, flailed his arms. He caught glimpses of his friends – soldiers held their arms behind their backs, as they looked at Harmony with horror and helplessness.

"HELP!" Harmony cried, but the only help he got was a sharp blow to the back of the head.