Starbound

2 - Chosen

Zach

Staring at a screen that was going to  tell me about my fate was not what I wanted for my eighteenth birthday. Hundreds of people were gathered around the big city screen, their necks strained to get a clear view, even though the screen was still black. I once again wished I'd been born yesterday, at least then my name would've been on the previous year's list and I could've spent my birthday huddled up on my own. Why was I here anyway, they wouldn't put my name up, I was a plain guy with brown hair, brown eyes who would one day become an agricultural farmer on an artificial farm. But I was fine with that, I didn't want to risk my life doing the bidding of some organisation who controlled our lives without a second thought. Either way, there were many other people who were more qualified for this job than I was. People who paid attention in their classes and had the skills needed to survive in outer space. People who didn't mind that their everyday decisions being made for them and who actually wanted to doom their lives on outer space. I don't want all the excitement, I want my life to be plain and simple.

Suddenly, the news-screen flickered on, the LOE's symbol popping up. It stayed for a few seconds, I crossed my arms, impatiently waiting for the list of names to show. When it does, I scan the list, when I don't see my name I uncross my arms and start to walk away, shaking my head as I do so. But before I could finish my third step I feel a strong hand land on my shoulder. Turning around, I come face to face with another guy from the Academy, he smiles at me as he points up towards the screen.

'Lucky,' he says before turning away. Brow creasing, I suspiciously look back at the news-screen and look at all the names again carefully. I feel all my blood rush from my face as I stare at one name among the others. Mine.

ZACHARY OSCOVE.

I blink, pretty sure that I'm seeing things but when I open my eyes again my name is still on the damn news board. My breaths become ragged and uneven as I struggle to breathe. Debris fall down in my mind as my future crumbles, my whole life, even though I didn't choose it, was falling apart in the span of a few seconds. Above me, the screen shuts off and the crowd disperses. But I can't move, my feet are frozen into the ground and my hands are motionless at my side. My vision begins to blur and I can feel myself falling, but I'm too busy trying to breath to stop my fall. I feel ringing in my ears and the world around me goes silent. The loud thud of me hitting the floor broke my cage of silence and slowly the world around me came back to life. I could hear questions about my wellbeing and saw worried faces all around me. Yet I could feel the world fading into black and my consciousness float away.

...

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was a bright, blinding light. I push myself into a sitting position, swaying a bit from dizziness caused from my rapid movement. When the world was no longer blurry and the room in focus, I glimpse my surroundings, only to realise that I have no idea where I am. I look around, I'm on a simple white bed with simple white sheets. There are other beds like the one I'm in, all scattered around the room making it look like a dorm. Or a hospital. Like the one in which my mother passed away. I begin to panic, What if something is wrong with me? I think, What if I'm dead? That thought quickly races out of my mind, of course you're not dead you fool, I tell myself. Yet some bad feeling lingered, a feeling that if I stay here something terrible will happen. All I could think was that I needed to get out of here, but why? I didn't know.

But before I could do anything the door in the corner of the room swung open and three men walked in followed by a middle-aged woman. All four of them wearing white, covered in white actually; clean and spotless shirts, leggings and shoes. In my weakened state, all I could do was lie back and wonder who the hell they were and what they were doing here.

'Zachary Oscove,' the woman said, her voice completely monotone. She was looking towards me but not at me as if the pillow I'm sitting against is more interesting to look at than I am. 'Congratulations on being one of the few lucky people that were chosen for this year's Pairs. We hope with the deepest parts of our hearts that you find us a new home and save all of earth.' The absurdity of what she just said almost makes me snort out loud, only the manners that were drilled in by my mother kept me from making a noise. Do they seriously tell everyone that? Acting like they had a shot at interstellar survival! Either way, I'm not going to fall under her spell. I will not leave earth without a fight! I have free will, and my free will tells me to make my own decisions.

'Come with us, Zachary,' one of the men says from behind the woman. 'You're a few days early, but we can assign you a starship and Pair now.'

Assign me a starship and Pair? I shake my head at the ridiculousness of the idea. 'No,' I tell them firmly, receiving looks of surprise from the men but no emotion whatsoever from the woman. I'm beginning to believe she isn't actually human. It's possible, there have been rumours about humanoid robots working for the LOE floating around the Academy. 'I want no part in your "search" for a new home, it's a suicide mission.'

'Zachary, I am afraid you have no choice in the matter,' the woman spoke. Still monotone. 'Cooperate or we will be forced to make you. I advise that you choose the first option.'

Maybe, but I have no intentions of making this easy for them. 'I am not flying across the universe in some pointless search, I will remain here,' I reply, there is no way that I am leaving Earth. Ever. This is my home and these people can't take me away from it. It doesn't matter if they say I can save the human race, I know I can't because I am nothing more than a goddamn farmer. I can only do what I have been taught to do, I am only as good as my level of skill and I will never be anything special. I don't want to be anything special. I suspiciously eye the group, trying to observe their reactions. The men were exchanging unsure glances while the woman just smiled, stepping closer.

'You will cooperate, Zachary,' she insists. 'At least wait a little longer before making up your mind.'

I arch an eyebrow; doesn't she understand that I am not changing my mind? She must be so used to people bowing down to her that she's forgotten that the some of us have brains too. But from the way she's glaring at me, I decide to hold my tongue for the moment. I'll play along and let them think I'm cooperating. 'Okay then,' I say at last, hating myself for standing down but at least I'm not giving in yet. You have to lose a battle to win the war, right? 'And please, just call me Zach.'

HI! Ju here. Small notice on how the chapters work. All Charlotte chapters are written By Izzy and all Zach chapters are written by me, we do however give each other ides for what to do in each other's chapters and any plot ideas for later on. So if the different writing styles confuse you that is why...