In the year 3022, Cassie and Bunky were sent into space in a small space pod. Their parents had put them in there when the earthquake hit. The siblings' parents hadn't provided any explanation for why the put the two of them on the pod. They just pushed Bunky and his sister onto the pod and shot them off into space. Of course Cassie and Bunky didn't need an explanation. They already knew what the earthquake was: the end of the world.
Scientists had predicted it for a while now. Some said it was because of climate change. Others blamed over population. And many found pollution as the reason. The one thing they could agree on was that the end is near. They didn't know exactly when it was coming, all they knew was that the end would be catastrophic. When the earthquake began, everyone on the planet knew what it meant. Fortunately, Bunky and Cassie's parents both worked for NASA and were able to secure a space pod for both children. The coordinates were already locked in so neither of them knew where they were going.
Bunky was filled with uneasiness the entire trip. He trusted his parents to send them to a safe planet, but that didn't change the fact that they had no idea where he and his sister were going. Or who would be there. Or what it looked like. Bunky has never been a fan of uncertainty, and no he was in the middle of a situation that was filled with nothing but uncertainty.
Cassie was too busy drowning in guilt to worry about the unknown. She didn't deserve to be on this pod. It should've been her parents who were on here, not her. Her parents had given their entire lives to her and her brother. Cassie should've returned the favor by given up her spot on the pod. Not to mention that she would only be a burden to her big brother from here on out. Why did she deserve to live?
Neither one of the siblings spoke during the trip. They just let the silence and tension rise and slowly suffocate them. It seemed that the journey would never end. It did though. After a few hours the pod slowly left the sea of stars the siblings had been swimming in and start moving towards a small grey planet.
Anxiety began to rise in both Cassie and Bunky. This was it. This was their new home, and they didn't know anything about it.
Bunky turned around in the front of the pod to ask his little sister, "You ready?"
Cassie nodded her head yes, not trusting her voice to give the same answer.
The pod landed in a station that looked similar to the space station their parents worked at. There was a woman standing there almost as if she was waiting for Cassie and Bunky. Bunky was the first to step out of the pod when it opened. He slowly approached the woman standing there, and discovered that her skin was green. She was an alien.
The woman was the first to speak up, "Welcome to Katafýgio. My name is Esmeralda."
Bunky held his hand out for Esmeralda, "My name is Bunky. I am from earth."
"Bunky, I am so sorry about the loss of your planet," Esmeralda said, "I hope you can find a new home here."
"What exactly is this place?" Bunky asked.
Esmeralda explained, "Many years ago, there was a Great War between two rival planets. Both were completely destroyed. Survivors of the war founded this planet, and created a safe haven for anyone in a galaxy. Anyone who's planet was destroyed by war, blight, or plague could come here and start a new life. I hope you and your companion can do the same."
Bunky looked back at his little sister and gave her a smile. Maybe their old life was destroyed, but they can start a new life here.
