Paradise Is A Lie

Prologue | The Project

Year 2017

"Mr. President, the Prime Minister of Canada wishes to have a word with you."

"Send him in." The president of the United States sat down at his desk, laying his hands on top of the mahogany table top. He slides his palms across it, leaving a streak of sweat atop of the laminated wood. He adjusts his posture, straightening his spine to appear taller. He'd been up for the last twenty-four hours, putting all the fine details on his plan to colonize the distant recently discovered planet, Nova Prime. It was beautiful, lush and capable enough to support life. It was what everyone had dreamed of, and now it's going to become a reality. He hangs his plastic earpiece over his ear. "Yes, Mr. Kimball?" He meekly says into the microphone.

"I have agreed to partake in the Paradise Project. Now all that we need is for Japan and Russia to agree." The Prime Minister replied.

"Good. Good. Japan I have faith in, but Russia may just need to have some more..." He goes silent for a few seconds, grinning.  "Convincing." He reaches under his desk, pulling out a small box, with a red button encased in glass. He enters the combination on the LED panel, making finger print marks on the glass. "I request contact with Russia. That's an order." The communications manager fumbles around with his keyboard, shaking as he watches the president of the United States rest his hand over the button.

"There y-you go, sir."

"Hello Sokolov. It's been awhile." The American said, he knew exactly what he was doing. This was revenge for what Sokolov had done to his family years ago. Whether or not he would agree to join Paradise, he would still destroy him, whatever it took. "I know we're not exactly on the best terms, but this could be a great thing. Nova Prime is quite the planet, shame we made it there before you did. Much like our own moon. However, I am willing to put our past aside to benefit the citizens of this world. If you are? You have twenty seconds to decide whether or not you will join this project, or I will have each one of your beautiful country's cities destroyed and I will not spare any single part of it."

The Russian had spent his time. He would join, but only to destroy America in the future. Nova Prime would be his, even if his descendants had to take it for the glory of his country, and soon, his planet. "I accept, John Clark."

"Good."

The two leaders each pressed their button, sending nuclear missiles across the world to destroy each other. This sent the world into a frenzy of explosions, destroying not only those two countries, but many others. India, China, France, Germany, all destroyed for the sake of moving forward to what would become Paradise. Hundreds of space craft began launching into the atmosphere, breaching into the solar system. After years of research, space travel became so advanced that with the flip of a switch, you could open a wormhole to somewhere across the universe.

Twelve citizens of Canada sat in the command center of the Aquarius IV, discussing what they think Paradise would be like. Some thought it would be what they thought Heaven would be, or that it's even more of beautiful than Earth, but little did they know.

Paradise, is a lie.