Biosphere

Chapter 3: Brock Strand

Every Sunday, Brock set aside two hours to play handball with his son in the galaxy ship's gymnasium. At only eight years old Brock's son, Lenny, was lithe, sinewy, and quick - a formidable opponent against Brock who was sturdy, stout, and like a rock. 

Where he lacked speed, he made up in strength. Brock's racket was an extension of his tree-trunk arms and with one fell swoop - WHACK - the blue racquetball was sent flying to the far wall, not quite as fast as light speed, but still pretty damn fast. It ricocheted off and back towards them, Lenny ducked from the speeding, flying object.

"My game!" Brock yelled with brio as he pumped his fist. 

"Cheater!" Lenny shouted.

"Using your own strengths to your opponent's disadvantage is strategic, son, not cheating."

Lenny seemed unsure, "Well next week, let's go running on the track then. No one can keep up with me. They call me the cheetah at school." 

Brock jabbed, "That's just because you're all splotchy." Lenny punched his father lightly in the arm. Brock grappled Lenny in a headlock. Ah, father, son love. 

After their strenuous game, the two headed to the sauna. Brock's tight muscles craved the moist heat. As they sat down on the wooden bench, inhaling the pine aromas, Lenny said, "Dad, tell me about Earth again."

Lenny was obsessed with Earth, probably because he'd never been there. He never stepped foot on the dead planet. The planet of missed opportunity, seduced and defeated by greed. This was a conversation that came up quite often between the two.

Brock sighed, "What do you want to know, son?"

"What is Earth like?"

"Well, Son, that's hard to say. I imagine it would be all dry and dusty now - and very hot." Brock inhaled deeply, thinking about his home in Dallas, how it probably was abandoned and dilapidating like the rest of the rotted homes there. Then he looked up and a fond twinkle glistened in his eye as he said, "Once, however, it was a paradise."

"Well, what happened? How did Earth die?"

"We killed it. This is very important to understand son, our own greed doomed us. You know that Device you have? On Earth that device would be called a cell phone."

Lenny laughed. "Cell phone? Like skin cells? That sounds disgusting."

"Yes, well, with cell phones came social media. Real life became too hard, too depressing. People became obsessed with their online personalities, they eventually opted to live completely in virtual reality, within the web of their social platforms. That's when things got really bad."

"Why? That sounds like it was awesome! You get to pretty much play a video game all the time."

"Yes, the rest of the world had that exact  notion, Lenny. Our blind faith was the perfect distraction for Maze - a tech company who built or bought all the social platforms - to come in and take control. With all their stake in the internet, our sole industry, they controlled what we saw, what was promoted to us, and to some degree what we purchased. Their algorithms had uncanny ways at modifying human behavior."

"What happened then?"

"Maze's greed led to an oil dependence to fuel our rampant consumerism and eventually heated up the earth, so hot that all the seas warmed and fish dried and rotted. The air became thick with red smog. Cities near the equator all burned up. Homeless burned up in the streets."

Lenny's eyes were wide. He was fascinated by stories of this Earth he'd never seen. For him it was all a fable. For Brock it was a horrible nightmare, a web of memories. Humans eventually realized to survive, they'd need to flee earth. Ships were built to traverse space for decades  like huge, cruise ships gliding through the cosmos. The resources needed to produce the ships were many and there were only a certain number of ships that could be built. Brock and Margaret made it on the very last ship that would ever set sail for the salvation planet of Exagora. 

The ship's Generals would approve passengers, the old, the frail, the sick rarely ever made it. 

The conversation was interrupted when there was a loud crashing sound. Lenny and Brock were jerked from the sauna bench with incredible force. Lenny being so small, was sent flying until his forehead knocked on the corner of the bench across the room. There were sounds of metal grating for a minute and then, after the metal stopped reverberating from the impact, complete stillness and silence. 

A rivulet of blood streamed from Lenny's forehead and the color drained from his face. He looked at his father with wide eyes. "What was that?"

Brock knew exactly what it was. But no. It's too early. General Stockett would have known if we'd be attacked... 

There was no denying it. 

It was time. 

Brock stared at Lenny with the utmost seriousness. "Go and run home. Do not talk to anyone, do not stop. Run and grab Katie and your Mom and head to the life ships. Get on one."

"Should we wait for you?"

"No! I'll be the last to leave, making sure everyone gets on them."

"I won't leave you, I'll stay behind with you and help."

"Son, Katie and your mom will need you. I can't let them stay behind. I need you. I need you to do this for me."

Lenny's eyes were welling up. He was scared. For many years he'd dreamt of joining the military like his father and leading the passengers on his own ship, but at eight years old, he wasn't ready for what was happening. 

He knew he didn't have a choice however. He nodded his head and the naked man and naked boy ran to the lockers, frantically changed, and parted ways. Lenny ran to the apartments and Brock ran straight for the General's chambers. 

The attack had officially begun.