CENTAURIA

PROLOGUE: “What we leave behind will always haunt us” By the year 2218: Man has set up a permanent colony on the moon. Manned missions have reached, and satellites now orbit, every planet in our solar system. A scientific research colony has been established for terraforming purposes on Mars. Mining has also begun on Mars, as well as Venus and various moons around Jupiter and Saturn. 97 years before: The ruins of a vessel were discovered on the surface of the dwarf planet Eris, on the very edge of our solar system, by satellite radar – an ancient starship, undiscovered for untold years. This wreckage was salvaged and taken back to earth, where scientists from around the world worked on reverse engineering its design and would, in time, make the greatest break-through man had ever made. Human technology advanced hundreds of years within the first three decades of its discovery and by 2179 its secrets were revealed – a plasma propulsion system that would revolutionise the Ion thruster and enable future starships to travel close to the speed of light. Ships were designed, built and tested over the next thirty years. Work was then focused on a larger ship, one that would take us on our next step of space exploration; a research colony ship that would travel to our nearest star system in search of life and a new start for the human race, away from Earth’s decaying surface. The ship would be called Elysium, and by 2218 it was ready for its voyage. * * * The darkness of night had enveloped the muggy city. Rain was coming down hard on everything outside, leaving a glossy shine on road and metal. The wind, howling through the streets like a haunting whisper, brought with it the smell of Chinese food from a dozen roadside open-air diners. He took a deep breath and smiled. Of all the smells of the city that he had loathed for years, that would be the one he would miss. He knew that tonight would be the last time he would smell a lot of things that remind him of home. Dean Archer stood in the doorway of their apartment building as he called up to his wife. “Come on, Kathryn. We’re ready to go.” “I’m coming,” was the response, followed by the sound of footsteps hurrying down the wooden stairs. The city was emitting its own light now through a plethora of neon signs. Lightning strikes, every now and then, reflected off the glass skyscrapers that towered over the city and bounced off the waterlogged streets like a mirror image. The sound of thunder follows and the buildings tremble underneath its power. Steam is rising from the drains as if hell itself were part of the city. Kathryn came up to his side and looked over his shoulder. “You ok?” she said, in a calming voice. “Yeah, I’m fine, babe. I’m just taking it all in. As much as I hate this place I… oh who am I kidding, come on let’s get out of here.” He took the bags from his wife’s hands and headed down the steps to the taxi. He spoke without turning his head. “You sure you got everything, there is no turning back now.” “You’re going to make me a nervous wreck if you continue. We are good to go now.” “Good,” he said, as he closed the boot and climbed into the back seat. “I.S.A. please driver.” “Yes, Sir,” said the driver, his face shadowed by the navy blue cap on his head. The car slipped into motion and slowly edged its way out into the relentless traffic. Dean looked out the window as the car drove through the veins of the city. He had always called the streets that, never really knowing why or even where he got it from; a desire to believe that the city was an actual living being maybe. The rain streaking diagonally down the window distorted his view of the electric world outside. He turned to see her leaning over him, trying to see what her husband was looking at or just taking in the last sights of the city herself. Maybe the last sights of any city they would ever see again. “You sure you’re ok with this? It’s not too late you know. Say the word and we can turn around right now.” She smiled and put her hand on his leg. “I’m fine, Dean. I think you are the worrier. We don’t have anything great here, and what we are doing could be so important, I think it’s worth it. Besides, we spent our last night on earth pretty well didn’t we?” She squeezed his leg a little. He slowly placed his arm around her and kissed her on the forehead. “We sure did, Kathryn. We sure did.” “Maybe you could wake me up halfway through the journey and we can join a new million miles high club.” Dean laughed as he turned back to the world outside. After a moment he said, “I can’t stop looking at everything. All this I have seen a million times before and never paid any attention to it. It all seems so … picturesque now.” She ran her hand through his hair. “Hmm, I guess what we leave behind will always haunt us. But when we’re out there, we can think back on these memories and laugh about how dull and grey it is here. Either that or how lovely it was.” “Well let’s hope it’s the dull and grey memories then,” he said, with a smile. The rain had nearly stopped now and, through the steamed window, Dean could see the I.S.A. building coming up. “We’re here.” The taxi pulled into the driveway and parked. Kathryn was the first to get out, hurrying around to get her bags ready. Dean paid the driver and stood by his wife as the taxi pulled away. For a moment, they just stood there, looking up at the International Space Agency with a few bags containing their whole lives in front of them. Finally, they looked at each other and then walked in through the glass doors.