Chapter 4

The planet was more and more visible. From the size of a dime it was now the size of a quarter. Captain had already placed the moon into a geocentric orbit. They could only imagine the havoc that the moon would create on the planet at this moment. The huge gravitational pull of the giant moon would pull all of the oceans towards it meaning that calm waters of the earth receded in some places and flooded others.

As the moon swung around the planet, it pulled the water with it, drowning in water huge swaths of land. Not to mention, previously dark nights on earth would now be lit up by the giant white moon reflecting the sun rays onto earth. The animals and the primitive humans on the planet, would no doubt be shocked by the bright light and the receding and overflowing oceans.

For now, the colony of about a 100,000 Earthlings were getting ready to descend to the blue planet. The booster rockets pushing the moon were brought over to the base that had now lifted out of its shelter protecting it from the impacts of meteors along the journey. Once the base was attached Captain Nguye called his team for a final mission briefing.

With seven majors and their lieutenants, sitting around the large round desk, he began to speak:

“Gentlemen, we have arrived. The Earth we knew is gone, this is our Earth, this will be our home. In a few hours, my work getting us there will have been done and Captain Desiye will take over the mission on land. I will let him speak now.”

Captain Desiye was a large man with a high brow and a no nonsense look. He had a thick mustache and neatly cropped short curly hair. He stood up and gave a nod to Captain Nguye and paused for a second as Captain Nguye sat down.

“I’d like to first say thank you to Captain Nguye for the great job he has done getting us to this point. I’m here to tell you that this has been the easy part. I’m here to tell you that surviving on the new planet will not be easy. We touch down in the continent we will call Soufrey. It is the sight of the longest river on the planet with fertile valleys and with plenty of large animals. It is also the sight of our only competition; the primitive humanoids that we will have to eradicate. Our two civilizations, or lack of theirs will simply not co-exist. We will have to adapt to this land and develop tools to survive in the much colder climate. To do this, we will have to be quick to adapt, united together and disciplined. We may encounter disease and many of us will probably die. But the few that remain, will rebuild that which we had on Earth. On new Earth with hard work and discipline, we will have what we had on the old.

All of you have your protocols, all of you will tell the people under you what to do. We are the best of what the Earth had to offer, together we will rebuild what we once had. At this moment, I’d like to wish us all good luck on leaving the moon and entering the atmosphere of New Earth. “

Captain Nguye, was back at the front deck. With all preparations set, 24 hours remained to descent. He thought back of Earth. Their life there had become miserable in a span of but a few decades. He remembered the cool summer nights of his childhood, and the insufferable days that lead them all to move into underground bunkers by the time his children were same age as he. His memories were of the beautiful planet, of which a scorched desert was left.

They lived in megacities bellow the surface. Life was crowded, impossible and it was getting worse by the day. In spite of all this, the decision to leave wasn’t easy. To stay back on a crowded planet or colonize a new one, to never come back, even if coming back was to a certain hell. He looked at this perfect ball of blue white and green and thought about the hell that was to come.

Life at home was suffering and pain.. but on Earth he was with friends and family. On New Earth, life would also be hard, painful, but also lonely. The only thought that kept him going was that here he was working for the future and keeping the past. Because back on earth there there was no more future, just today.