The Fall

Waking up, I'm greeted with the same sight that I'm so used to. Every single day it's the same gray walls, gray floor, and one window that shows Earth. My entire life, this is all I've ever known. Granted, I'm only nine years old, but still... It's a life filled with blandness. The only social interactions that I receive are from Mr. Kane and other guards when they visit to bring me books.

Mr. Kane is the one that taught me to read and write. He always tells me that I am very smart for my age, and considering he is the only person in my life that has ever really shown me kindness, it means alot to me. Eight years ago the guards found me in a vent, apparently my parents ditched me there trying to get rid of me. For a year Mr. Kane tried to find my parents, but he never did, no one looked for me. So, he took it upon himself to be the parent figure in my life. He couldn't adopt me because the chancellor still believed that my parents were looking for me, but that doesn't stop me from seeing him as a father.

Being pulled from my musings by the sound of the door opening, I look up to see the man himself enter my room. "Mr. Kane!" I say excitedly and jump out of bed to rush and give him a hug, seeing him always makes me happy.

Kane had a sad look on his face but it soon softened and turned into a sad smile when I hugged him. He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up to give me one of the tightest hugs that I've ever received. "Hey there bud, I've missed you." He said with a small sad smile adorning his face. He looks older than usual, more stressed out and definitely more sad, like something has been plaguing him.

Seeing how upset he was, was definitely making me shake off the excitement I was feeling towards seeing him today. Whatever it was, definitely had to be bad to be able to make him this upset. Usually when he comes into my room it's always with a big smile and a new book or some other gift. But today, there was nothing in his arms. "What's wrong Mr. Kane?" I asked hesitantly, my bright smile slowly dropping from my face. Feeling a shift in the air, his mood darkening.

Kane put me back down before steeling himself and straightening up. "You're going to the ground." He replied in his councilman's voice while looking me in the eye. A voice he has used so many times before on people who've committed crimes against the Ark, a voice void of emotion, and filled with authority.

My heart stopped at his words. It was impossible to survive on Earth, he's told me countless times. I knew the history, I knew what happened. The ground was supposed to be saturated with radiation, I wouldn't survive. I started to cry and I lunged at him and held him around his waist in a huge hug. I heard it in his voice, he was serious. I was young and haven't really lived a life worth living but I didn't want to die, not yet. "I'm getting floated?" I sobbed out, not wanting to believe it.

At my words Kane's own resolve seemed to crumble and I could see his eyes moisten, but he would not cry... I never see him cry. "No no no, you're not getting floated James. I would never allow that to happen to you. Our scientists believe you will survive." He whispered in my ear while he hugged me back with even more force than before. It was like he was hoping I would never leave him. I couldn't say anything back, only sob and listen.

"We believe the Ark will fail us soon James, and they want to send you down as an experiment." He said softly in my ear, I could hear the sadness and utter devastation in his voice. "The council voted on it and now it is out of my control. I never wanted you in danger James... never." He pushed me back a little with his hands on my shoulders and crouched down so he was at eye level with me. Looking me dead in the eye so I would see the raw honesty in his voice he said, "you will survive. You are stronger and smarter than you think James, I will see you again."

I could only nod wipe the tears from my eyes. Trying to be strong and show him how brave I was I gave him a watery smile. "I trust you Mr. Kane. I'll show you guys the Earth is survivable." He nodded and returned the smile. Allowing him to grab my shoulder, he lead me out of my cell towards a more isolated part of the Ark. Walking past a couple of guards, they nodded in respect to Kane. We stopped in front of a single man drop-pod, honestly the thing looked like a death trap. I could see that repairs we made recently so I tried to tell myself that I would be okay. It wasn't really doing anything to steel my nerves however.

Grabbing my small wrist in his hands, he clamped a metal wrist band around it. I flinched in pain when it stabbed into my skin, but I tried not to make a face; still trying to be strong. Holding it up to my face I looked at it closely, it looked to be well made and very... "sciencey."

"It's to transmit bio-signals back to the Ark via electronic transmission based on your heart rate." He says in response to my curious gaze at the wrist band.

Staring at him with a completely lost face seemed to remind him that I was only nine years old and didn't know what the heck he was even talking about. "It tells us if you're alive." He says while chuckling lightly. His laughter seemed to lighten the mood and caused me to laugh as well, which in return caused him to burst out in full blown laughter.

Remembering the depressing circumstances seemed to bring me back to reality and brought down my mood again, sobering me up rather quickly. Kane seemed to remember as well and his laughter slowly stopped before he looked at me with sad eyes again. "Here, this is a specially made suit for you, in case the pod is breached." He said while pulling out a small, folded space suit and helmet from a box near the side of the drop-pod.

It must have been made using my body measurements because there's just no way there's a random child sized space suit sitting around. Mr. Kane helped me put it on, it took a lot longer than it should have. Neither one of us wants to rush this, who knows when the next time we will see each other again. Let alone if I'll even survive the drop. After I put on the suit I shakily got into the drop ship and strapped myself in. Looking at Mr. Kane broke my heart.

He was standing there in front of me holding my helmet looking like he just lost something important to him. I put on my brave fast and flashed him a bright smile. "It's okay Mr. Kane, I will be fine. You'll see!" I said giving him a thumbs up.

He just gave me a small chuckle and shook his head. Handing me my helmet he gave me a small smile. "I know you will James, don't forget about me okay? I don't know how long it will be until we see each other again. But we will see each other again, I promise." He said with finality.

After he finished helping me put my helmet on, he stepped back and closed the door of the drop-pod. That's when I broke down and started crying again, this was it. The moment of truth. I could see Mr. Kane standing there with a button in his hand, I waved sadly at him with tears streaming down my face.

Kane stood in front of the drop-pod pod holding the button between life and death. This wasn't his first time such a button was in his hands, but this was the first time it was for someone that he loved. Pressing the button he watched as the son that he never had, was sent plummeting to Earth. "Stay strong my son, and stay alive... please." He whispered softly, hoping and praying that something would hear him.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Falling to Earth was a wild and surreal experience. The pod

was shaking so much it felt like it was going to fall apart before it even made it to the ground. I just had to hope it didn't, that's all I could do. Not soon enough, the shaking stopped with a sudden and stomach churning lurch as the parachutes deployed. I felt my helmeted head smack against the back of my seat and I was dazed. Looking out the sole window of the pod I see a tower. 'It must be one of the buildings from before the end of the world' I thought to myself.

I could see the ground approaching quickly, wait... was I supposed to be falling this fast? I began to panic, what if the drop-pod didn't slow down enough and I died from the crash!? The sudden rush of fear and an immense number of panicked thoughts suddenly came to a stop, and so did the drop-pod.