THE KAGUYA

Owen walked along a brightly lit hallway of the Kaguya Solar Station. His clean, militaristic boots tapping on the hard metal floors echoing around him in. His father had called him to his office, which wasn't unusual but, something seemed off. He only ever requested him when he needed to assign new orders but this time he was told only to "shut his mouth and observe".

His father always terrified him, from the moment he was born, like some sort of evolutionary fear baked into his DNA. Since he was a child, he watched his father run his company and knew, Marcus Hale Chief Executive Officer of CytoSynth Pharmaceutical, was not someone you wanted to make an enemy of.

As he thought about his father images of lab equipment and long nights by himself in cold hospital rooms began to flood Owen's mind. He stopped and looked into the reflective window in front of him, trying to concentrate on clearing the intrusive thoughts that came flooding in. All his life he tried to bury those thoughts and emotions deep down but when he thought about his father, those memories always seemed to worm their way back to the forefront of his mind.

Looking at his cold blue eyes in the glass he noticed the lines creasing his face and just how tired he looked. His eyes drifted towards the number forty two printed in bold black letters above his right eye. He scanned the light pink scars that dotted his pale skin, noting most of them were imperceptible, but to him they shone like bright neon lines across his face. Taking a second to pull his long, white hair down and retie it in a neat bun on top of his head, his focus shifted forward to the sprawling laboratory aboard the Kaguya.

There were people in white coats moving from one large piece of equipment to another, checking clipboards and doing only god knows what. Looking around the room below he saw the familiar CytoSynth guards at each door, clad in the latest R.I.G. armored exosuits from Star-Lance industries. Of course these had been modified to read CytoSynth Pharmaceuticals and were equipped with his father's own blend of cocktails, designed to keep it's pilot awake and alert for extended periods of time. Owen reached up and rubbed the back of his neck feeling the familiar scar tissue, where the stimulant was pumped in through the R.I.G system.

"Owen?" His eyes unfocused and a woman came into view in the reflection behind him. Turning around he saw his father's secretary poking her head around the corner where his reception area had been tucked away. "Your father is waiting in his office, do you need something? You know he doesn't like to be kept waiting." She looked over her shoulder nervously in the direction of Marcus Hale's large double doors.

"No, sorry Astrid, I was just lost in thought, I'll head in now." Owen tried to smother his emotions, plastering a painted smile across his face. Looking down and smoothing out his iron pressed shirt, one side black and the other white to symbolize the divide between the lower class and themselves. Owen never understood how you could have such a clear divide but, his father always assured him the lower class doesn't even know it exists. That it's his purpose to send humanity to the furthest reaches of the universe and uncover all it has to offer, and to do that there had to be sacrifices. Of course Owen had never seen his father sacrifice anything for his cause but he always kept his mouth shut.

Owen turned and rounded the corner seeing the opulent waiting room before his father's office. The station they lived on was constructed out of white and gray hues of steel and machinery that always seemed entirely to sterile to him. His father's office though, was a tad ostentatious.

The walls were lined with incredible water color paintings of himself, making him out to be some sort of revolutionary. His short cropped black hair and piercing blue eyes seemed to follow him across the room. Each portrait was flanked by flags and logos of CytoSynth, and the walls were lined in dark stained wood. It was as if he stepped off the Kaguya and straight into some college dean's office from one of his history texts.

In front of him, at the far end of the room, were two incredibly large golden doors with the name "Marcus Hale Chief Executive Officer" in thick black lettering. On both sides were two very large men who appeared to be wearing plain black suits and sunglasses. Owen knew better though, seeing the familiar metallic spine, running up under the collars of those bulletproof suits. Their glasses would be reading his bio signature right about now, making sure he actually was Marcus Hale's son and not some crazy assassination attempt on his father's life.

Astrid's desk sat against the left wall, a nameplate sat on the edge reading "Astrid Langley Reception". The short woman walked around and took her seat and began to fidget with her computer, glancing nervously between Owen and the Guards. She reminded him of a librarian from one of the old shows he had watched online, the kind that would shush you if you spoke to loudly. He never really understood those old shows. No one he knew had ever acted out in the libraries aboard the Kaguya, except for one time when his friend Li spilled her coffee across the table, soaking at least three books in the brown liquid. Of course she didn't get shushed, she was banned from the library for a month. Owen smirked as he thought about how he had to rent out her text books the entire month. In exchange she gave him her extra ration desserts every day. Slowly he began walking towards the doors, swallowing past the dry spot in the back of his throat as he looked up at the massive doors.

Before he could reach the door Astrid spoke up behind him. "Owen… your father is conducting some business today and would like for you to observe. Just walk in and stand against the wall, the meeting is scheduled to start in just a few minutes."

He wasn't sure if it was just his father's normal presence that had her on edge today or something else entirely as he nodded and turned back to the large doors in front of him. Each guard took one side and pulled it open silently, a small woosh of cold air hit Owen as the hermetically sealed "purified air" escaped into the reception area, making the hairs on the back of his neck and arms stand up.

The lights inside were so dim he had to take a second before proceeding so that his eyes could adjust. The projector windows behind the large desk were showing the incredible views of the solar system around them with all lights turned off, save for one on the large wooden table seated in the middle of the room. He couldn't quite make out all the figures sitting around the table, but he knew the silhouette of his father at the head.

Marcus Hale was a tall and imposing man who looked the image of clean cut, not a single hair was out of place. Years ago before Owen was even born he had undergone countless "upgrades" as he called them, granting him the best abilities money could buy. The most obvious of which were his blue eyes that now glowed like neon even in complete darkness. He wasn't sure if this was just to intimidate people or if there was actually a function but, it worked. Most people couldn't even look him in the eyes without some unknown fear creeping up their spine, Owen included. It was as if the atmosphere around him could choke the life out of you, put you into fight or flight and make you agree to anything just to get the hell out of there.

Owen took a deep breath and moved to lean against the wall beside the large doors, crossing his arms and waiting. No one bothered to address him as he entered, which he greatly preferred. Dealing with his father was enough, let alone the whole board of directors staring at him from the shadows. Owen knew they did it just to make themselves more imposing but he had to admit it worked.

From his vantage point against the wall he was able to watch the mannerisms of the board of directors sitting in front of him, and it was obvious they felt just as uncomfortable as he did. It was different from the common people though, these people seemed like nervous animals, waiting on their pack leader to tell them they could eat. Each one shifted uncomfortably and busied themselves with the papers in front of them, trying not to garner Marcus Hale's attention.

Before anyone could say anything to each other the double doors opened again, obscuring his view, as a long shadow formed across the room from whomever had just entered. They shuffled in rubbing their hands together as the doors closed behind them, looking around nervously. Owen wasn't sure who they were but, judging by their white coat and comfortable loafers he could surmise they were some sort of scientist or researcher.

The figure took another shuffle forward, closer to the table before blurting out "H-hello Mr. Hale… sir, I would just like to say although we failed at recreating the synaptic link we gathered so much useful data. W-we could have another round ready to go in a matter of-"

"That quite enough Mr. Kane." Owen knew that was strike one, you don't speak to Marcus Hale. He speaks to you. "We have reviewed your data and Mr. Reyes here has a few questions he would like to ask you." He knew his fathers voice from the first syllable as an electric shock ran up his spine. The hairs on the back of his arms stood on edge as one of the figures licked his thumb and began sifting through the paperwork in front of him.

"Thank you very much sir." Mr. Reyes spoke from the darkness like a voice dripping with honey that was just a little to sweet. "Liam Kane, age forty one, married, two children, lead researcher on the Helix project." The portly man let each statement hang in the air for a few seconds. "The data you obtained is extremely useful and we expect failures and setbacks in the pursuit of science Mr. Kane. No this meeting is because it's come to our attention you don't seem to support CytoSynth as a company. In fact, I have more than a few sources that tell me you would rather take your family to Earth. Now why exactly would that be Mr. Kane?" The Head of R&D sounded like a child who just caught their younger sibling doing something they shouldn't have.

"No! That's not true Mr. Reyes please, I only support CytoSynth I don't know who has been telling you these lies but I've always been a loyal member of the Pharmaceutical party. Why would I want to leave all this to take my family back to a barren rock when we have everything we could ever ask for here?" Owen could hear the tears in the mans eyes, the way his throat betrayed him as he tried to plea through his emotions.

"Oh I think you and your family have been sowing dissent through the Kaguya for a long time Mr. Kane and we have the proof on video." Mr. Reyes leaned forward, showing he was indeed enjoying this, a sickening curl at the edges of his mouth. You could see the sweat on his meaty hand as he reached forward and stabbed a button on the console in front of him, then leaned back with a sigh as if it took great effort just to move that far.

A video appeared on the various screens around the room, it didn't matter where Owen looked his vision was filled with a dingy lab room somewhere in the Kaguya that he didn't recognize. A small group of people were standing around in a circle looking at some sort of document, as voices came crackling through the speakers hidden across the room.

"Look I'm telling you it's real, why would make something like this up along with forging company documents?" The man shook a small stack of documents in hand as he spoke. "They are using kids as the biologic part of this project! They aren't synthetic grown labs they're real." He hissed through his teeth in a low voice, checking over his shoulder for anyone listening in.

Another woman spoke up this time "Look we don't know they're living kids what if they were stillborn or that's just how they classify the materials. I get it, we hear those rumors about the colonies on world where they do all sorts of experiments to people but, we aren't like them. CytoSynth wouldn't do that to it's own people, why wouldn't they just grow it?

The man looked disgusted at the woman across from him "You're joking me right? I have literal hard copy evidence in my hand that they have been using living children in their experiments and your first thought is they wouldn't do that to us? Look around you Sarah we mean nothing to this company and if they could grow us for free materials they would, but there's something stopping them." The man looked lost in thought as if he were trying to piece together some information he didn't have. "There is something stopping them from creating real functioning brain and I think that's what Helix is. Think about it all the testing we've done all the success we have had that they labeled a failure because it couldn't imagine a fucking farm with made up animals. There is something missing, something human."

"Oh come on Adrian." This time it was a short stern looking man who spoke up. "Think about it logically why would they want to create some form sentient robot that can think for itself. Straight robotics are much easier to control. I'm sure Hale's already accounted for people like you and that's exactly why he wouldn't do it." The man leaned back and crossed his arms defiantly looking at the man referred to as Adrian.

"Look I don't know why that psychopath wants it but he does and I for one won't be a part of it. There are talks that Earth is becoming more and more free. The corps are giving up saying the planet is going to fall apart any day now and pulling out. I'm not asking any of you to come with me but, you can if you want." Adrian looked around the small group of people desperately looking for any sign of support.

Strangely the audio seemed to cut out and distort as another man entered view. Owen couldn't be sure but it certainly looked like the man standing in front of him. The group could be seen talking before exiting the frame one by one until it came to the man called Adrian. The image zoomed in on him sliding something into his pocket that looked like a small silver bar before exiting frame, the video stopping abruptly leaving a palpable silence in the room.

Mr. Reyes was the first to speak, unable to contain his excitement at what just transpired. "So Mr. Kane it would appear your entire teams faith in humanities great savior, your Chief Executive Marcus Hale, is wavering. And it would also appear as though one of your employees has access to materials and documents they shouldn't have." Although a large portion of his face was obscured in shadow Owen could hear the smile coating his acidic words.

"Mr. Reyes please I wasn't condoning their actions! I insisted they drop all their nonsense and if I had heard anything more I would report them! This isn't me it's that ingrate Adrian! He's the one orchestrating this dissent sir." Liam began sobbing and heaving now, trying to catch his breath.

This time it was another voice from across the table. It sounded sounded slimy and cold, like empathy was a foreign concept. "Mr. Kane any failures or shortcomings a team has, is the responsibility of the head researcher wouldn't you agree?"

Liam recoiled at this statement as if it were and object thrown at him "S-surely I can't be held responsible for how someone else thinks and acts. Please Adrian is the one you want not me, I have been nothing but loyal to you Mr. Hale." He dropped to his knees clasping his hands together in an act of prayer that hasn't been observed in decades.

"You will only address you CEO when requested to do so!" Mr Reyes slammed his meaty club of a fist down on the table "You will do well to remember you're nothing but a cog in our machine Mr. Kane and, when a cog is defective you replace it. It's really a simple matter I don't see what all the fuss is about."

Calmly Marcus Hale held out a hand to silence his board of directors, leaving the entire room silent for what felt like minutes. "Mr Kane, under union law, any and all person's involved in organizing in opposition against a CEO or any of their affiliates is punishable up to, immediate demotion to a colony planet or one million credits. I'd like to assume that neither you nor your team have those funds available?" Liam just sat on the ground, his mouth open, making no attempt to refute the claim. "No I didn't really think so." Marcus shuffled though some papers in front of him before pausing on one particular sheet. "Your children Mr. Kane how old are they?"

Liam looked surprised by this question and wiped his face quickly. "F-five and seven Mr. Hale sir."

"One girl and one boy, Ameilia and Oscar correct?" Owen knew that inquisitive tone, and it made his insides twist violently. Holding his stomach he felt the spot where one of the long scars that littered his body resided, seeing images spring forth of the laboratory room he called home for the first several years of his life. Owen knew all to well what happened when his father got curious about people, they had something he wanted and, nothing would stop him from taking it.

"Y-yes sir, loyal to the Corporatocracy just like me and their mother. Please Sir find it in your heart, I'll fire Adrian and the whole team and start over if that would be satisfactory?" Liam was grasping at anything he could to pull himself out of the hole he had found himself in but Owen knew the only way out of this was to make someone else suffer. Liam couldn't be allowed to resume normal work with a team plotting behind his back on one of his CytoSynth's top secret projects.

"We already have a plan in place to remedy you and your team Mr Kane." Marcus put the papers down and stood up, walking slowly around the table until his full six foot five inch frame came into view in front of Liam. His entire form was silhouetted by the single light but his eyes shone like burning suns through the shadow, looking down on Liam, casting a pale glow across his features. "I think I've come up with a solution that will solve both our problems." Marcus leaned against the long table and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You see your team was correct Mr. Kane, part of project Helix involves using human specimens in conjunction with our proprietary AI models to create the end of that outdated Star-Lance R.I.G. We have found that synthetically grown biologics don't have the capacity to imagine, or think for themselves, it's all simply rote memorization." Marcus leaned into view, showing for the first time in Owen's life the long lines of age creasing his otherwise perfect face. He let out a long sigh as if mentally reviewing all the failures in his head.

Owen felt a pain in his chest, a feeling that he hadn't lived up to his father's expectations? For this monster standing before him? He looked away feeling the bile well up in the back of his throat as Marcus continued.

"We have decided to move the testing to the next phase. Semi developed human brains and nervous system wired throughout an impenetrable exoskeleton." Frowning, and looking down on Liam like a disappointed parent. "Your team had it correct and what was their response? Disgust, denial, hatred?" Marcus leaned back, the corners of his mouth twitching into a cruel smile as shadow washed across his face once more. "You see this project is my life's work Liam, something you and your team apparently can't see or share in, but I can't just get rid of you all and start over. You have made to many strides in this field and it would be such a waste. The offer I'm about to present to you is once in a lifetime, and I would think very hard about how you choose to respond."

Spying the smallest sliver of light through the door Liam jumped on the opportunity, throwing himself down to the ground in prostration, as if pleading with a god. "Please sir, I'll do anything to prove my loyalty to you and the company!"

If Owen hadn't spent his entire life observing his father's movements and mannerisms he might have missed the flash of disgust, the way his body recoiled and tensed before smoothing it over, back to the omnipotent guise of the CEO of CytoSynth before turning and walking back to his seat.

The part that really bugged Owen though, is he felt the same feeling of disgust well up within him. At seeing someone so weak groveling for their livelihood instead of fighting. He turned his face away and dug his nails into his crossed arms trying to fight the feeling that he was anything like his father. He forced himself to think empathetically about the man and his family and the fact that all of their lives rested within the hands of those leering over him. That everything they have been and could be, were decided by people who thought of them as expendable machines used to create their own dreams.

Marcus leaned forward, elbows on the table, lacing his fingers together so that his face was just visible. "I think you need a personal stake in this project. I think you and your team should be just as invested in this, as the whole of CytoSynth is. Do you think you can make that commitment Mr. Kane?"

A small screen flashed to life at the end of the table in front of Liam scrolling text faster than any human would be able to read and, at the very bottom was one single signature line. Owen couldn't make out what the screen said from where he was standing but it was clear, before Liam Kane, lay a truly Faustian deal.

"S-sir I can't do this… they're my children. Please anything else." The man before him sounded broken, like the single lit match in his heart was just snuffed out.

Mr. Reyes piped up from the shadows again. "If you'd like to refuse our gracious CEO's offer than we will schedule your family their departure to Europa. You of course will be prepped for data transfer. We can't just let all that information go to waste deep in the center of a moon can we?" He was practically giggling as he spoke. "After all you and your family are property of CytoSynth, or do we need to revisit your contract details Mr. Kane?"

Liam didn't move for a long time. Owen felt like he spent an hour waiting for him to make any sort of noise, scream at his father, fight his way out of the office, anything. Instead he watched the shell of a man in front of him shuffle forward to the screen and shakily scribble his name across the line.

"I'm very pleased you were able to see sense and the betterment of mankind was more important than two insignificant lives Mr. Kane, your free to go. We will transport your children to bay D and prep them for surgery. I would take this time to tell your wife so she isn't surprised by this fact Mr. Kane. You will report to your usual station tomorrow and meet your new team." As Marcus spoke it was clear his attention had run out for the current situation, sifting through a stack of papers in front of him. "And don't worry I wouldn't separate a father from his children, you will still have direct oversight on the project. You are dismissed." He waved his hand and the two doors behind Liam slowly opened letting in a single ray of light that couldn't quite reach the table of well fed animals in front of him.

Liam didn't move, standing in front of the these monolithic figures before him mouth stuck hanging open, not in shock or surprise but just lacking the will to move his muscles. After a few moments Mr. Reyes spoke up again, snapping his fingers loudly.

"Oh for Synth sake, security? Please escort Mr. Kane out of the office, he appears unable to move under his own accord." Waving his hand flippantly and going back to the paperwork in front of him. The two guards stationed outside walked into the room in unison. The quiet mechanical hum and whir of each stride shattering the silence, as they grabbed Liam and lifted him into the air, walking him outside.

Unsure of why he was here and what that all was, Owen continued to stand there for a few minutes before one of the board members cleared their throat, directing the attention to the teenager standing on the wall.

Marcus' voice came matter of factly from the darkness. "Oh Owen I'd forgot I sent for you, that will be all you may leave." Although he couldn't really make out his father's face he knew he didn't bother looking up in his direction and, didn't pay him any mind as he walked out the large golden doors.

Owen walked back to his room in silence playing the scene over and over in his head, feeling remorse, guilt, even hatred at the man that created him. Why did he want him to see that? Did he just feel the need to exert his power over him again? To show him the extent his control still reaches?

And what were they talking about in that video? Was his father really using kids to further his experiments? Images of each of his sisters sprang forward like a flood. A cascade of identical faces, only distinguishable by the increasing numbers above their eye. He reached up tracing his tattoo again. It had started to become a nervous habit of his that he had been trying to correct, but for some reason it brought him comfort. As if tracing the familiar lines eased his mind and let him think. His father wouldn't do that to his own flesh and blood would he?

More images rushed forward like a creature ripping its way out of his mind. Lab equipment, doctor's implanting, moving, and removing organs. The cold feeling of his father's skin as he examined him, before walking away wordlessly, leaving Owen alone. He felt the bile return once more, reaching out to the cool glass beside him as he struggled to regain his composure. Swallowing hard and tucking the loose hair behind his ears, looking at himself once more in the reflection.

Of course Marcus Hale would do that to his own children, we were just free genetic material to him.

Turning on his heel and pressing forward down the hall, he was so lost in thought he ran headfirst into someone he hadn't noticed. A scientist or researcher he was able to surmise by their long white coat and comfortable loafers.

"My apologi-" was all Owen was able to get out.

He didn't see, and more importantly, didn't feel the sharp stabbing pain digging into his stomach until it was too late.

Looking up, feeling the air catch in his lungs as he stared into the brown eyes of Liam Kane. He was smiling, blood covering his teeth as if he had bitten off his own tongue, tears streaming down his face. Owen felt faint, his vision starting to get fuzzy around the edges as his head dropped seeing the piece of silver metal sticking out of his stomach.

"That monster wants to take my children, wants to take my mind. No I'll show him what it's like to lose a child." His voice was erratic as if he were processing every emotion at once and couldn't decide which one to land on. "I'm sorry Owen this isn't your fault, I just...I can't lose them. Your father has to pay for what he's done and none of us can get close to him. I don't know what plans he has for you Owen but I won't let him use you like my…" Liam's eyes seemed to focus on something far away, unable to finish his sentence, holding him there pushing the metal deeper and deeper into his flesh.

"I…I'm sorry Liam but… my death won't prove anything. H-he'll just start over… with a new one." was all Owen managed to blurt out as he began to fall backwards to the cold metallic floor. He saw images of boots rushing towards him, heard the sound of metal thudding against something soft and the sound of someone crying, or was it laughter? He couldn't be sure as the world began to spin around him faster and faster until he slipped into unconsciousness.

Images flashed before Owen's eyes of siblings he had lost before. How many was it? He had lost count at this point and the number kept rising.

"Fifty One, Fifty Two, Fifty Three…"

His memory started to slip away as he recounted their names. Each one growing more and more emotionally distant as they left him alone, to deal with everything.

"Fifty Four, Fifty Five, Fifty Six…"

Each one terminated before they could reach naming age like he had. Why had he been allowed to survive, what was different between him and them? He suddenly felt very cold, shivering and convulsing on the station floor until, he wasn't anymore.

Owen felt as if he were floating in a pool of warm water, every muscle ache and pain left his body and he felt like he could sleep for the first time in years. After a few moments he gathered the strength and opened his eyes seeing a pure gray sky above him. Not the gray metal of the Kaguya but endless, misty sky stretching out before him like he had never seen before.

Slowly he sat up and looked around to see, nothing. It was as if the sky continued, unobstructed in every direction for as far as he could see, except for one small silhouette far off in the distance. He couldn't be sure how far away the figure was and he really didn't care. This was the first time Owen had felt peace his entire life and he was content to lay there and enjoy it as long as he could.

He wasn't an idiot he knew what this meant, that he was probably dying so why fight it at all. He at least hoped he could slip away before his father forced him back into existing solely for CytoSynth. He knew he would succeed, Owen was an asset his father had invested to much time, and far too many resources to just let him die here and now. Slowly he sank back down into the water closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

"OWEN!"

The voice brought him back, springing up out of the water and seeing his newest sister standing a few feet in front of him. She was wearing a long hospital gown and her white hair, like his now, hung down around her shoulders. She looked like the other sisters he once had, a carbon copy of his mother who he had only ever seen pictures of. All the boys of course looked just like his father except for their white hair and the numbers tattooed above their right eye.

He instinctively reached up and ran his fingers across the ink feeling the little numbers. Forty two, the lines raised ever so slightly as they often did when he was stressed or sick. Looking forward he saw his sister also still had her number, a dark contrasting sixty four set harshly against her even fairer skin. She made no moves towards him, just seeming to regard him as he slowly got to his feet.

"I suppose this means you didn't make it either?" Owen said flatly as he looked at the girl in front of him.

The girl shook her head and pointed to her own chest, right where her heart would be, if they were normal humans and not their father's experiments. Then she slowly pointed to Owen and, before he could react, she was standing in front of him touching his chest.

All at once the world was ripped away from Owen as the two of them moved through the void of space faster than even light could travel. He didn't feel any force from the movement, it felt as if the entire universe was being shifted around them. In an instant he saw stars and planets whipping by, there were more solar stations orbiting moons, and even the large domed colonies of Mars. They were moving so quickly he couldn't process everything he was seeing or focus on any of the finer details.

Too quickly the Earth came in to view in front of them, larger than anything he could ever comprehend as they moved to it's surface. The only reason he recognized it was his history texts but, nothing could prepare him for the reality. Barren oceans showing giant craters and cave systems burrowing deep in the planet, brown and tan deserts stretched as far as he could see, littered with what looked like the ruins of countless civilizations as they rocketed towards the surface.

Owen reeled from side to side trying to gather as much information as possible, seeing collapsed buildings and abandoned vehicles littering the broken roads. Every horizon was dotted with broken machinery and pieces of ancient technology he couldn't understand. Large armored vehicles seemed to grow out of the ground, littered with holes and burn marks. Giant winged craft were buried nose first into the ground, their primitive looking payloads still attached to the hull, and even boats that now lay on their side against massive sand dunes.

He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing, it was as if the entire planet came crashing down in the middle of a planetary war. They had all been told that humanity left of their own will, choosing to follow the corporations into the stars for a better life and a chance to start over. It was clear from everything he was seeing though that no one left willingly, they had all been forced off the planet.

Just as he thought he would pass out from the amount of knowledge flooding his senses they began to slow down, as the girl in front of him raised her other hand towards what appeared to be a Mars Colony Dome prototype, laying in ruin and debris. It was a massive white dome like they had seen on their journey here except a good portion of the West side looked as if it had been bombarded with some artillery. The lattice of iron and steel protruding from the edges of the dome were lined with lights and signs guiding small space craft in and out of the hole like some sort of port.

The sun shone brightly overhead and he had to shield his eyes. He had never been outside or seen the light of the sun so beautifully. It cascaded over the mountains and caused the sandy earth to glow with a warm golden light that filled him with a sense of familiarity, like his humanity yearned to reach down and run his fingers through it.

The two of them began hurtling towards the ground just outside the dome, flying through canyons and large mountains until they were barreling straight for an ancient ship buried halfway in the sand, and enclosed by high cliffs with only one entrance and one exit. Owen couldn't believe what he saw as they approached, standing on the landing ramp leading to the ship was a boy.

He was probably sixteen or seventeen with untamed black hair sheared on the sides to make a mo-hawk. He wore different brown and black clothes that wrapped over him and protected his tanned skin from the sun. He was looking up towards the sky, hanging onto to one of the hydraulic lifters that would have controlled the ramp he stood on if it were functioning. Small dark goggles across his eyes to shield from the suns rays and a dirty bandanna hung loosely around his throat.

He didn't seem to notice their presence as they approached and making no attempt at slowing down Owen reflexively threw up his arms to brace for the impact. After a long moment his sister reached up and grabbed one of his arms pulling it down in front of him and lacing her fingers through his. He squinted through his eyelids to see they had come face to face with the boy who was looking up to the sky with a sense of wonder Owen couldn't quite understand. He had spent many nights looking out into the infinite that is our universe and always wished he could escape but this boy felt something else entirely.

It was obvious this was all he knew, his clothes were in tatters, he looked tired and dirty, and yet here he was looking up to the stars with a sense of adventure and wonder. It made Owen jealous, furious even, because every time he looked at the same thing this boy looked at he just felt emptiness. There was no sense of mystery and adventure to him, no longing deep in his body to just run and find happiness, all of that left him before he was even allowed out of his childhood hospital room.

Before he could stop them Owen felt the warm tears streaming down his cheeks and falling to sand below them. He felt his sister squeeze his hand gently looked down to face her, seeing her smiling gently at him. Looking at him the way he always wished someone would.

Before he could process this feeling though she turned and pointed towards the boy, then back to them and then back to the boy. He didn't quite understand who this boy was or what she wanted with him but, just as quickly as they had arrived here Owen was yanked backwards towards a blinding white light.

He felt the pain come flooding back into every nerve and the sound of beeping machinery started to swell up in the back of his mind. Suddenly in the blink of an eye Owen was laying in sterile hospital room looking at the dull gray and white metal of the Kaguya. He wanted to scream and thrash around, to fight and escape back to the peaceful place he had just come from. He noticed the breathing tube first, rubbing his throat raw as he struggled to pull it free. He was unable to though as his hands and feet were bound to the table at his side, frantically trying to look past the bright light above him, searching for the warm glow of the sun.

He saw nurses and doctors running back and forth throughout the room as well as a few of them standing over his stomach. He felt the dull sensation of stitches being pulled through his skin but, at least they had given him local anesthetic. His eyes slid to the side as his body's numerous sensors began combating his death and his mental conditioning began to kick in, slowing his breathing and calming himself down. He knew they had brought him back and that there was no sense in fighting it, his body would begin to shut down into a state of hibernation to protect his brain and vital organs during recovery, so he did the only thing he ever knew and laid his head back closing his eyes and succumbing to the feeling.

Just before he slipped into unconsciousness, Owen felt as though someone was looking at him. No, someone was burning a hole into the side of his head, the kind of feeling that won't go away until you open your eyes and confront whatever is. Slowly he opened his eyes and he turned to the large glass pane separating the operating rooms beside him. There, laying in a hospital room identical to his was his sister, number sixty four. She was dressed in the same hospital gown and holding out one finger, pointing in his direction, and he wasn't sure why, but he knew she was still pointing at him.

All at once Owen knew what he had to do. He and his sister would leave the Kaguya. He would make sure whatever his father planned for the both of them wouldn't succeed. He had know clue who that boy was or what he had to do with themselves, but he would get his sister there if it was the last thing he did. And Owen felt it may be the last thing he ever did, as his head rolled back and the world fell away form him.