Waiting to Go Home

Looking down on the surface of the old Mother Earth, we are coming up to Extraction Zone 401. The latest band of extracts are being rounded up by the Dollarzen Troops. When it is their time, you see them run to and fro much like mouse scattering and scurrying from their captors.

It has been 4 years, 7 months and 12 days since the end of the old world but we are reassured the new world is coming. Aboard this ship we have been hovering at a safe distance above the earth's crust. It is still not safe to return. The Earth was gravely overpopulated by the human race and the mass wipeout of people was needed for Earth to restart from fresh.

In the centuries past, many tried and failed to cleanse our home by sending wars and viruses to purge the Earth. But nothing worked. That was until the doomsday clock ran out and we had no choice but to leave our planet momentarily so she could heal.

Hell rained fire down onto earth and we had to leave, there was no longer a future on Earth. There are still zones that remain on fire continuously and this is where all the extracts are discarded. Those who remained, continued to burn and those of us chosen to live on the new Earth were saved and protected from the worlds demise.

Since then, a group of experts put together in the days of preparation have worked on restoring the Earth and creating a liveable planet once more. They have cultivated the land and the absence of the polluted human foot print has left the work uninterrupted and thus far successful.

Once every four months we go down to Earth to roam on designated land that the elders have assigned each of our ships to. We breath in the fresh air, we restock our supplies, we feel the fresh green grass between our toes and we feel 'at home' on the planet that once was ours to call home.

The Elders, knowing the world was coming to an end had The Governed authorise policies before anyone else knew that it was in fact already in progress. They are promising a better tomorrow.

Upon receiving certification to board the ship there were many fine detailed contracts to be signed. All the women were implanted with a chip to force stop the reproduction of any children while we are Earthless. Our food is rationed and clean water is limited so there is enough for everyone to share. Men and women must continue learning every day from the basics of living with nothing to creating the complex infrastructure of the future.

Here on the ship money has no value. What you contributed to earth before its crumble is what you pay your way with up here. Every act of kindness buys you time. Every person you made feel loved buys you clean air to breathe. Every creature, plant and person you took care of buys you food.

The elders are not too cruel. Before the extracts are faced with their final fate and tossed back to an earth where they will struggle to survive more than five hours they are given a holographic mirage to enjoy. A final parting gift before they are shown off the bottomless escalator and swallowed up by the fire scorched desserts below.

Among those who were not granted life upon the ship were:

• The carelessly overpopulated; those who reproduced more than one child with no guidance to care for the Earth.
• The wealthy who gave nothing to the poor.
• Anyone equipped with guns, weapons, battle skills or any license to kill.
• Politicians.
• Religious Leaders.
• Those who did not show kindness to the less fortunate.
• Anyone who willingly created a divide in the human race.
• Anyone who intentionally hurt any life on Earth.
• Anyone who took more than they gave were not welcomed to be a part of the new world.

Anyone who starts showing any of these characteristics then become the extracts.

Otherwise, everyone aboard the ship takes great care to keep everything running smoothly. We are all a community, everyone pulls their weight and we look after one another. There is no greed, we are all equal. Every so often we pass the other ships and it is a sad reality to be so close yet so far away from other people. But we are optimistic to know one day we will all share in Mother Nature's glory.

The Elders said the new Earth was being prepared with great care, we just need to give it time to heal and time to grow before we can return. Until then, we are all just waiting to go home.