A New Life

Chapter 1: A New Life?

("We dreamed a new life… some place to be happier. Little did we know what we dreamed… was hell")

(Ethan Kruger one of the last surviving members of the Human race and an honorary member of the ship "The New Afterlife" wakes up in his room, screaming after a nightmare)

Shepherd, the AI of the Ship: (He turn on the lights to Ethan's room, it speaks in a monotone, but somehow emotional voice. Ethan's room is a simple bedroom, with a single bed sitting in the corner of the room next to his cupboard that is built into the floor. The room is white in color, but when the lights turn off it turns pitch black. To the right of his room is his working space, a wooden desk in front of a built in display cabinet which holds small mementos from his journeys. On the left-hand side of the room is a wardrobe and to the back is a small couch next in front of a TV.) Good morning, Ethan. I took the liberty of monitoring you, while you slept. A four hour nap isn't healthy for one's mind and body, especially if that person is an important member of a spaceship.

Ethan Kruger: (He has deep oceanic blue eyes and dark brown, neatly right parted hair with a slight undercut. He stands up revealing his average stature and 5'10ft (177cm) height. He looks around the age of 17 and is of German and possibly French descent. He is wearing a plain black shirt with black jeans and white socks, he slept in those clothes) Status report, please.

Shepherd: The Captain has moved us approximately 1.7 Light years away from the Nebula Star Cluster. Fuel 89%. Oxygen levels 93%. All is nominal. (Ethan walks over to the door and starts typing on the keypad) Are you sure you do not wish to sleep for a few more hours, it is only 5:23 AM in Ea-… (Ethan clenches his fist as Shepherd utters the words) Apologies, Mutter time.

(Ethan enters the hallway and a French Bulldog with a Neon Genesis Evangelion, EVA unit action figure in its mouth runs down the hallway)

Alexander "Guider" Ivanov, the Captain of the New Afterlife: (He walks down the hallway chasing after the dog. He has dark brown eyes and neat swept back black hair. He is wearing a white shirt, with the badge of the SSD, the Space Survival Division on it along with black and white striped pants. He stands 5'9ft tall and has an average stature, he looks around the age of 31 and is of Russian descent) Laika! Ah, dammit where did that dog go?! Ethan?!

Ethan: (He points down the chrome floored hallway, the walls are white in color and the roof of this hallway is made of glass allowing you to see the outside) That way.

Alexander: Thanks!

(Ethan walks down the ship, while "The Man Who Sold The World" by David Bowie, plays over the intercoms of the ship)

(Ethan continues walking down the hallway to the kitchen area. When suddenly he bumps into Kojo "Gunner" Robitaille, a towering 6'7ft (200cm) tall African man, he has a muscular build and brown eyes with a shaved head. He is wearing a black tank top with white sweatpants)

Kojo: (Holding onto his head as he walks towards the kitchen) I am going… to kill that robot… it's five in the morning! What's the music for?! (The music suddenly stops playing on the intercoms) Thank you…

(Ethan walks down the ship)

Ethan: Where's the Commander, Shepherd? ("In a Gadda Vida" by Iron Butterfly starts playing over the intercoms) You're not being funny.

Shepherd: (He stops the music) Aw… I was just trying to cheer you up…

(Ethan makes his way to the back of the ship, he enters a room where the floor is made of dirt, several plants and flowers are being maintained here, "The Garden of Eden" as the Commander calls it. Commander Konrad Shirei stands here just looking at the plants. Konrad is 6'2ft (187cm) tall and has a bulky muscular stature. He has a high and tight haircut, being dark grey in color and his eyes are green in color. He looks around the age of 42 maybe slightly older and he is of German descent. He is wearing a white long-sleeve vest with the badge of SSD on it and black pants, he is barefoot, he enjoys the feeling of dirt on his feet.)

Ethan: (He puts his right hand on his left shoulder, while keeping his left arm facing straight downwards) Commander!

Konrad: (He turns his head back to Ethan) You're up… early.

Ethan: I couldn't sleep.

Konrad: (He turns around to face Ethan) It's important for every member of this ship, to always be at their top performance. (Ethan slightly turns his head to look behind Konrad and he sees Jacob "Caretaker" Bates working on the garden, he is 5'7ft (170cm) tall and has an average stature. He has black middle parted hair with hazel colored eyes. He looks around the age of 23 and has American heritage. He is wearing a white tank top with black cargo pants. Ethan starts to open his mouth to say something, while he points at Jacob) Except him, he stays up the whole time. But he never leaves the ship anyway.

Ethan: Right…

A Voice over the intercoms: (The voice sounds distinctly Irish. It is voice of Colton Kramer, the Co-pilot of the ship) Uhh… Captain, Commander, Lieutenant… you might want to come take a look at this!

Konrad: (With his arms crossed he looks at the intercoms) What is it, Konrad?

Colton: (Through the intercoms) It's a… distress signal from a ship.

Konrad: We get those all the time and…?

Colton: (Through the intercoms) And despite the signal coming from a HUMAN ship, the signal itself is… Metphian… and originating from someone inside the ship.

Ethan: Well either I forgot or that hasn't happened yet.

Konrad: (He starts to walk out of the garden) Get those two friends of yours up and get your uniform on.

Ethan: Yes Commander!

(Ethan walks into his room and puts on the uniform of the SSD, a black tight–fitting; space suit almost like a futuristic version of the modern day space suits made for more mobility. It is made out of a combination of nylon, spandex fibers and liquid cooling tubes along the arms, legs and stomach area. The sides of the suit are blue in color, with thin yellow lines on the border where the blue stops and the black starts. On the shoulders of the suit are the badges of the United World, 12 Swords surrounding a table on the left shoulder. On the right shoulder the badge of the SSD, an Eagle flying above Earth through the stars. On the neck area of the suit is a thick metal circular neckpiece that surrounds the neck, the backside being slightly larger than the rest, it is the area that contains the helmet, which links itself to the Oxygen supply on the back of the suit.)

Ethan: To ensure the future, the hope and lives of Humankind. We give our own, for a home. (He throws on a dog tag with the name "Jürgen Kruger" engraved on it, over his neck) They'll know what it means… to lose everything.

(Inside the room of Conray "Smartass" Gaumond. The researcher and scientist on the New Afterlife and a close childhood friend of Ethan. He is sitting in the darkness of his room, looking at a glass cage with several bioluminescent caterpillars inside. He utters "Oh… you're beautiful" in amazement as he looks on at the caterpillars. Suddenly the lights to his room turn on and he falls backwards in his chair)

(Conray has long dark brown hair that is naturally middle parted and falls down to the side. He has Heterochromia, his left eye is amber is color and his right eye is emerald green. He is rather short standing at 5'5ft (165cm) tall and his stature is average and slimmer in comparison to the rest of the crew. He is 17 years old and is French and possibly British heritage. He is wearing a green sweatshirt with purple loose-sitting pants, the sleeves being a tiny bit rolled up)

Ethan: (He is standing on the doorframe, he turned on the lights) What are you doing?

Conray: (He looks a bit ashamed) I… was looking at the caterpillars.

Ethan: You've got a weird obsession with those things.

Conray: They're… beautiful. (He stands up and looks at the cage) Just like us… they're the last of a species that just want to survive. That eventually grow… wings. So that they explore further than ever before…

Ethan: How long were you awake for?

Conray: Since… 4 am.

Ethan: And you've just been looking at these bugs for the last hour and a half?

Conray: There more than bugs.

Ethan: Yeah… get up and get your suit on, we're going on a distress signal mission.

Conray: Right… I'll be there in a minute. (Ethan walks out of the room and he looks at the caterpillars) I'll be back in a while, just stay put!

(End of Chapter 1)