One

Log 124

Hours since launch: 2968

Day of travel: 124

There's nothing really to talk about, so I thought I'd tell you a story my dear diary-not-diary.

Once upon a time, there was a little boy born in the year 3135. He grew up in a world ravaged by a war known to many as the Uniting Wars. At the time, he didn't understand what was going on, all he knew was that the people around him were struggling for survival, weeping as they fell asleep each night. He knew that life could be better. 

When he grew up, he found out that the war was being fought in an attempt to unite all the countries. The leaders of several countries had met before he was born and decided they could make the world a better place. They united their countries and called themselves the United Forces, encouraging the other countries to join them. The United Forces claimed that it was so that the countries could work together, benefiting from the knowledge and resources of the others. So that everyone could be equals. In the next few years, more and more countries recognised the new world the United Forces were trying to build and joined them. Eventually most of the world had added themselves to this alliance, their people rejoicing that the world could finally be at peace, but in their quest to unite the world, a division was created. A few of the big powerful ones wanted to remain on their own, believing that the less fortunate countries would drag them down. Some of the people in the resisting countries believed they should unite, but all the ones in power were against it and there was nothing those minority groups could do. 

Anyway, when the little boy turned 18 and wasn't so little anymore, he decided that he wanted to help the already united countries get the other ones to join so that the war could end. To him, the world would be a better place if everyone could join together. Growing up in this war-torn world, all he wanted was peace. He joined the United Forces and they gave him a gun before shipping him off to the other side of the world so he could shoot their enemies for them. The boy fought alongside thousands of other boys and girls, men and women, and made friends amongst them but found he lost more than he gained. The boy fighting for peace discovered the truth: peace had to be forged by blood, it could not be born without death and the people could not be happy until they had wept. He made a pact with the other members of his unit that they wouldn't be friends anymore, so that they'd have less to lose when they went out onto the battlefield.

But while that boy was making his pact and shooting at the people he was told to kill, one of the countries which had chosen to stand alone sent a nuclear bomb to the city the boy had grown up in. His father and his little sister died when the bomb went off. His mother survived the impact but died of exposure to radiation a week later.

On the other side of the world, the boy found out and knew he should have been there with them. He tried to go back to the ruins of his home, but no one would let him. They made him stay and fight until their war was won and all the countries were united, at last providing the world with a peace that would last. Then he got to go home.

But there was no home left to return to.

Somehow, the boy managed to find his way in the world. He wasn't really a boy anymore though, the war and the loss of his family had forced him to grow up.

Years later, the man saw a mission being advertised, one which meant leaving Earth and never coming back. He had nothing to hold him to the planet - besides gravity - and not even the loving eyes of his pet dog was enough to keep him from applying.

Somehow, he was accepted and at the age of 28, he left Earth.

The End.

- C Velour

P.S. Yeah, I'm feeling a bit down at the moment. No more smiley faces today.

A/N: Does this log explain what happened in the Uniting Wars very well? I asked one of my friends and she said she didn't quite get it but couldn't give me any tips on how to improve. If you have any, that would be great. As usual, please hit the little star to vote :)