Thirteen Days

Chapter 3

Thirteen days left

A woman that looked to be in her mid-forties with severe features and amber eyes that looked strangely familiar popped up on the screen, standing on a loading dock with the Avandra behind her.

"The Avandra was created to give humanity a chance to survive beyond the limitations of the Earth." The woman said. I shook my head. Everyone was dying to know if they had a chance to get on that ship, and they were showing us this instead?

"Those who contributed to the project were rewarded with spots on the ship. With engineers, doctors, and aerospace mechanics given special priority." The screen flipped to the inside of the Avandra, showing the various living compartments – sleek white rooms with curved archways that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie...

"No way anyone buys this shit." I said. Miller glanced at me, frowning.

"They funded the whole project." He said. "Without the politicians pushing for some type of solution and without the sponsors to back it, none of this would have been possible." I pulled my hand out of his, unable to believe what he was saying.

"As well as our focus on a young population so that the human race can continue..." The recorded woman's voice continued. I'd heard this but wasn't sure if it was true, that they gave special priority to people under 35 in order to make sure humanity had a shot at continuing.

"You actually believe that?" I said. It was easy for him to say, when his parents gave him a ticket, easy for him to say when he didn't have thirteen days left to live. The video continued to play, showing the exterior of the ship – like one massive grey ring with thrusters on the back. Before showing more of the interior, the cafeteria, the gym, all the amenities human life would need to continue without the vast majority of us.

"We needed some sort of solution." He said over the voice. The solution. That's what they said in the news. The hope for some to get off this dying rock and billions of others to perish.

"That's not a solution." I breathed. Killing off the majority of the human race wasn't a solution. The woman's voice changed, abruptly changing her tone.

"And now is the time you have all been waiting for, time to announce the lottery winners." The screen fuzzed black for a second, the holographic numbers once again popping up on the screen. 5,4,3,2,1.

A picture of a middle aged man with too much facial hair popped up on the screen, his name reading across in clear black letters Adam Santiago. Then a woman's, and the next, and the next. I read the names, my heart dropping with each one on the list that wasn't mine, the chances I would get chosen dropping dramatically one by one until the final 10 names were being called.

It was all happening too fast, my life, my future being decided by a holographic screen like this was nothing more than a game where almost everyone loses. Sophia Vasquez, a Hispanic woman who looked about my age, grinning down at me like she knew she'd won before.

5 names left. Roger Allen, Iris Willis.

Three names left. My heart nearly beating out of my chest as whatever slim hope remained seemed to bleed out of me.

Two names left,

One. My heart stuttered, the girl staring back at me looked so much like me and yet... Wasn't. Red hair instead of brown, and a slight scar running down the side of her face. If it wasn't for that, she could be me. It was like the world was conspiring to torture me, to get someone who looked so much like me and yet wasn't... I glanced at the name. Eva Berg.

Zero.

My heart dropped. The screen went dark. I glanced at Miller, my mouth hanging open as too many emotions welled up in me to speak, my thoughts spiraling. A shot rang out somewhere near me. I ducked instinctively, going down as a wave or screams erupted through the air.

Then everything went to hell.

Thanks so much for reading! Please don't forget to vote and comment. I will be updating this story every Wednesday with new chapters.