Capítulo 5: Goodbye
The last two months that the Skyshard family spent together passed by in a blink of an eye.
While the brothers did wrestle with emotions of guilt and worry, they did their best to hide them from Elena, with Luke keeping a firm eye over Leo to prevent his younger brother from making any rash decision.
To make the most of their remaining time together, Elena took it upon herself to initiate "Memory Mondays," where the family would sit together and recall fond memories.
So for two months, every Monday after dinner the family would sit together and discuss fond old memories as although each session ended with Elena in tears, it gave her the closure of having lived a fulfilling life with the children so far.
Luke started "Film Fridays," featuring movies from their happier days, as on film Friday's the family would watch videos captured in poor 4k quality on their old mobile devices and laugh about how silly times used to be.
Finally, as Leo felt the need to contribute, he created "Weekend Wandering," where they explored their crumbling city one last time, taking photos to keep the memories alive.
Outside, their community was in chaos. Public forums turned into shouting matches, neighbours who were once close now avoided eye contact. But amid the pandemonium, the Skyshards found pockets of warmth—goodbye barbecues, heartfelt hugs, and an unsaid promise to reunite on Terra Nova if things ever took a turn for the better.
During these two months Luke remained the rock, always projecting an aura of stoic courage while Leo found solace in quiet moments, sketching imaginary landscapes of Terra Nova, but both brothers held onto the hope that just like there were four arc ships bound for Terra Nova this year, there would be four more bound for Terra Nova the next year and if they made enough money in transit, they would be able to buy a spot for their mother on that ship next time around.
So far, the news about the second round of ships was only an unconfirmed rumour, but for Luke and Leo, it was a ray of hope in dark times.
As the date for departing came closer, the family went through their belongings, keeping only the essentials that could fit into their 3kg baggage limit as Elena folded old letters into a small box and gave both kids something to read if they ever felt depressed or lonely while on the ship.
There was not much the two could carry with the very limited 3kg limit, but Luke carried some essential tool-kit that may come handy for his job, while Leo decided to pack a sketch-book and crayons amongst other essentials.
In a silent agreement between the brothers, they sold everything within the house that they no longer needed and used it to raise money for Elena.
Whether it was their more handy high power tools or their bedroom furniture or old clothes, they sold it all to raise a total of 30,000 dollars.
The family already had some 40,000 odd dollars saved prior to the arc announcement and with the 250,000 remaining from Elena's surgery alongside the 30,000 dollars the brothers raised by selling everything they owned, they left their mother with a comfortable sum of 320,000 dollars to survive in the near future.
In a show of love and support, they also reinforced their own house by repainting the interior and nailing strategic support beams across the roof so that it could bear a little more weight before it came collapsing down. A gesture that Elena was very thankful for.
Nonetheless, the sweet times did fly by and eventually the date for departing finally arrived.
On their final night together, Elena cooked a simple meal as the family of three sat around their weathered dining table, eating in silence, until Elena raised her glass and gave a toast "To new beginnings," with her voice tinged with both sorrow and hope.
For Luke and Leo, the final good-bye was probably the most difficult thing the two had done in their entire lives, but they braved through the event with a bright smile on their faces only to cry heaps once they were alone.
The next morning, the brothers were on their way, undertaking a dangerous 6 hours trek on foot to leave their apartment and reach the Washington airport where apparently one of the arc ships were docked.
At first, the journey was safe and smooth as they crossed their own suburban, however, once they were within a five mile radius of their destination, nefarious elements could be seen roaming the streets.
Thugs, criminals and all sorts of desperate stragglers gathered around the Washington Airport with the single goal of robbing some rich individual of their ticket to the arc ship and somehow finding a way to escape the dying planet.
If there was one thing that worked in the favour of the brothers, it was their poor and ragged appearance that looked like their skin often saw exposure to the sun.
The more dangerous elements considered them to be stranded individuals finding a way to sneak in just like themselves and did not cause trouble for them, however, Leo could have sworn he saw dead bodies of a couple of rich looking families as he passed some dark alleys, reminding him about the dangers of these streets.
Once they reached the main hangar bay, there was a military fencing and guard post where their identities and invites were verified and only after everything checked out were they permitted entry in the restricted area.
The hangar was a marvel of modern technology, juxtaposed against the decay outside. Screens displayed departure time, and uniformed officials guided people. Yet, the atmosphere was electric, filled with a collective sense of trepidation.
Individuals in expensive suits and coats, families with skins as white as snow and extremely expensive gadgets and accessories at hand seemed to be the norm as the Skyshard brothers were given a reminder of just how lavishly the rich lived their lives once they arrived at the hangar bay versus how they had lived theirs.
As they moved through the queues, finally reaching a desk where their identities were confirmed once more, each brother was handed a small envelope with the stamp of the USA government on top.
"Instructions and keys to your quarters," said the official, emotionless in her approach as she judged them off their poor appearance but Luke and Leo took no offense.
Finally, their baggage was weighed and the two were given an armband that they were not supposed to remove for the rest of their journey.
It wasn't like they could remove it either as the 'Armband ' was more like a wrist monitor that criminals under house arrest would need to wear and seemed to be a permanent accessory, but anyways it did not matter as having the wrist monitor applied meant that the two had cleared all formalities and were now ready to board the legendary arc ship and start a new adventure.
Capítulo 6: The Arc Ship
Luke and Leo's first impression of the Arc ship was that it was absolutely massive!
At a first glance the ship did not look like an airplane or a flying vessel at all but more like a small metropolitan district as it spanned several kilometres in all directions.
The ship's exterior was a gleaming expanse of silver and black, reflecting the sun's light in a way that made it look like it was shimmering. Several sections of the vessel expanded and retracted almost seamlessly suggesting the presence of advanced adaptable technology that transcended the capabilities of Earth.
As they walked inside, the brothers were struck by the stark contrasts that existed within the confines of the Arc ship.
Based on one's ticket, they were housed in different sections from S to E with there being a major difference between the luxury and quality of life within each sections.
[ Section S ] was the epitome of luxury. Named 'Silver Sanctum', this housing section had lavish apartments that housed the top1%
Residents of Section S had access to personalized robotic assistants, state-of-the-art health facilities, gourmet dining halls, and personal leisure areas.
The people here moved with a sense of entitlement, their faces betraying no surprise at the marvels around them. It was as if they always knew about, or perhaps even expected, this level of grandeur.
"Look Luke, that's the president-" Leo pointed out with his finger as Luke immediately covered his brother's mouth and forced him to look downwards.
Pointing at anyone was not considered good manners and if someone like the president took offense then they could throw small fishes like Luke and Leo out of the ship in an instant.
Was it a surprise that she was given housing within the best sector? Not really, however, it still pissed Leo off as in his opinion that bitch did not even deserve a ticket.
Walking forward, Luke and Leo passed by Section A.
[ Section A ] a.k.a the 'Aurum Abode', was a step below the S ranked quarters but still breathtaking. It consisted of high-end apartments with modern amenities. The residents had communal gyms, entertainment areas, and advanced medical facilities.
After section A came-
[ Section B ], known as 'Bronze Borough', was designed for the middle-class elites. While their lodgings were modest compared to the previous sections, they had access to basic facilities and shared recreational areas. Families here seemed grateful, their conversations hinting at a mix of anxiety and hope.
[ Section C ] was called the 'Copper Commons' and it resembled urban housing complexes. Families had small living quarters, shared laundries, and communal dining areas. While things were orderly, there was a palpable sense of uncertainty, with whispers about job allocations and the hope for upward mobility on Terra Nova.
Uptil this point, the Arc Ship looked like the perfect carrier to live in, however, as the brother's walked past section C and into section D, they realized that even the arc ship was a place where severe inequality prevailed.
[ Section D ] labeled 'Dural District', was more like tenements or dormitories. Several individuals or families shared a common living space and it looked just like the hoodlums and back alleys that were commonly seen in the most dangerous parts of an urban city.
They had few communal facilities which were clearly overstressed. Yet, despite the challenging living conditions, the inhabitants of these quarters seemed to be ready for a challenge and desperate to improve their living standards.
Finally, [ Section E ], or 'Elemental End', was where the most downtrodden were placed.
It was the lowest of low sections where Luke and Leo were to live alongside other menial workers of society.
The facilities were basic and clearly not enough to prevent overcrowding, with long queues for food and essential services.
As Luke and Leo passed by shops that were labeled as "Lunch Hall" and "Laundry Hall" they saw extensive lines forming outside these buildings as the brother's realized that waiting 30-40 minutes for daily essentials was going to become the norm in this place.
The living quarters were cramped, with several families sharing single units leaving no privacy for individuals.
The units here were only square boxes with minimal furniture as there was absolutely no distinction between bedroom, hall or kitchen.
There was one communal bathroom shared amongst ten housing rooms that accommodated two individuals each.
The atmosphere here was a mix of despair and resilience.
E-46. As the brother's entered their assigned quarters they realized that it was a small box spanning ten feet by twelve feet and was barely big enough for both of them to sleep at full length.
The flooring used was the same material as the rest of the ships baseframe and the only furniture provided were two sockets for power and a study table mounted on the wall.
There was no proper bed and the brothers were meant to sleep on mattresses which had 'Welcome Kits' placed on-top.
After viewing the kind of luxury that the inhabitants of the other sections were going to live in, the brothers found it hard to digest their own living quarters as the two of them exchanged no words as they put down their measly 3kg luggage.
As they opened their welcome kits, they found some sophisticated headgear inside whose purpose seemed unclear at the moment, alongside a fresh set of clothes that would become their uniform from this day forward and a dental essential kit.
The clothes they had looked like a medical surgeon's robe but in orange color with E-46 embroided in large white lettering at the chest.
"Leo, there's a small booklet given at the end, it apparently explains the rules and regulations of this ship, give it a read first.
We don't want to get in unnecessary trouble-" Luke instructed as Leo looked for the small booklet in his welcome kit and discovered it at the very end.
He spent the next 20 minutes reading every single rule of the arc ship before realizing that it was extremely absurd and oppressive by design.
Apparently freedom of movement, freedom of expression, freedom of speech and such ideals no longer applied within the arc ships as the different housing sections created essentially worked as large prison cells.
Moving from a higher ranked section to a lower section was permitted, however, the reverse was not allowed.
Although a D ranked individual could walk freely into the sector E housing, the vice-versa could not be done.
Except for two special days in a year, everyone had to necessarily wear their assigned robes to work within the arc ship and could not wear the clothes they came with on the ship.
No protest of any sort against the authority was tolerated and at the first action of dissent individuals risked being thrown out of the Arc Ship into the cold dark space.
There were a total of 112 such bullet points that explicitly detailed what one could do and could not do, however, many of these points touched on a subject called 'Gaming Time' and 'Virtual World' which Leo could not fully grasp.
Apparently, everyone aboard the ship had to spend a minimum of 12 hours a day playing a deep dive MMORPG game called 'Terra Nova Online' but the precise details were missing from the rule book.
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