Night

The Unkown

"Landing begins in
three...
two....
one"
Everyone waited in anticipation for the ground to start trembling. Hands were white from the death grip of anything reachable. Faces are beaded with sweat although the temperature is below average.

Vingelmina closed her eyes shut and clutched her seat-belt tightly. Her head felt slightly dizzy from the anxiety she felt all morning. All these years she tried imagining how beautiful a real tree is. Its green shades that narrowed to a long wooden stem extending to the ground. The fresh oxygenated smell surrounding it.

She felt the wind cooling her warm skin which was heated by the golden sun rays smoothly touching her face.

She touched the shimmering sparkling water flowing steadily down the river, the liquid being clear and transparent, reflecting the images of swaying tree leaves, the clear blue sky filled with fluffy soft clouds, and the scorching sun penetrating the white fluffiness.

We can't die today

The spaceship powered up, the motor was ready to operate. Everyone held their breath. A slow vibration began pulsing through their body, then picked up its pace and transformed into vigorous shaking. It felt like the inside of a beating drum, as the drum stick hit it with a stronger force each time. They could hear their heart pumping blood through their veins, it's activity in sync with the drum stick's fast strikes.

Soon it all began.

The speed they were going at felt faster than the speed of light.

It will be over soon
Just a few minutes

She tensed her body, and did not release it until she felt the parachute thrust the spaceship harshly upwards due to air resistance.

After a few minutes, a loud crash sounded, and the spaceship roughly landed on the ground, almost suffocating her as the seat-belt tugged on her chest.

They reached their destination, but the goal wasn't complete.
They needed to check if the planet is survivable.

An apocalypse occurred roughly around 300 years ago, killing most of the population, if not all. The earth suffered catastrophic disasters, huge earthquakes shook the ground, most of the planet got completely covered by water, sending whole cities to the deepest crevices of the ocean floor. Volcanoes erupted, and the ground crippled at every step, then lost its composure and ultimately split its crust in half, leading straight to an unavoidable death for anyone who was near it. The earth got almost deprived of oxygen, radiation fluctuated in levels. It was unbearable and certainly not survivable.

Some lucky individuals got a chance to go to space. There they lived for 300 years, generation after generation, until they decided it was time to inhabit the earth once again. They gathered volunteers to return to earth, and specify their chances of beginning a life there. 50 people were brave enough to volunteer.

To control the 50 individuals, they injected into them a tracking device, displaying their health status, and the conditions surrounding them, which can be observed in space to make the correct conclusions about life on earth.
If the operation is successful, then the rest of the population can safely descend.

***

"We aren't dead yet, the radiation level is in control"

"The air might be toxic"

"Get out and we'll see if you die"

"Someone open the damn door!"

"What if we all die right now!"

"You all are pussies"

"Oh yeah? You go first then!"

"Silence!"A voice echoed from the back.

His name was Valerian. He worked as a guard back in space, never walking down the halls unarmed, and still has his favorite gun always close at hand.

Everyone instantly shut up, their eyes fixed on him.

The girls faces sparked red in embarrassment, having been shushed by their crush. His attention, however was not directed at anyone. He walked to the door and without a second thought pushed the open button.

Sunlight flooded through the dark interior of the spaceship. He raised his hand to shield his face from the unusual bright light. The warmth of it gently caressing his finger tips sending goosebumps through his whole body. It was difficult to glance at the sun no matter how much he strained to take a look at it. A gush of air hit him as the door opened a bit wider.

He took a long deep breath, inhaling the unlimited supply of oxygen his lungs were ecstatic to receive. The air smelled sweet and fresh, better than any of the fake air spray produced that made a parody of the real aroma this enriched air contained.

The door opened with a bang.

The sight in front of them left them paralyzed for a couple of seconds. Real trees. Real air. Real sky. Real grass. This was nothing like the drawings shown to them in space, as they were being introduced to nature and its aspects. This felt like heaven, everything and anything they longed to see was a thousand times more breathtaking.

Valerian was the first to step on the grass. His polished boots were now splattered in wet dirt, the soles of which molded in the ground, but he didn't care.

The others followed suit. Vingelmina watched with awe at the incredibly picturesque sight displayed in front of her. She blinked a couple times, trying to comprehend this new reality she was engulfed in.

The unknown that needs to be discovered.