Faraway
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91Chapter 46
Launching from space, Sunny sat comfortably in the control room, clenching his fists as he tried to stifle the overwhelming feeling of sadness that threatened to consume him.
He had left so many people behind, abandoning the only home he'd ever known just for his hopes and dreams.
But as always, he will tell himself many times, like before, that every penny and ounce of his being is worth it. As the transport ship began its arrival towards Earth with a complete estimation of a couple of hours before landing, God knew where.
He can at least gather his bearings and think clearly about what will happen next. It has been so many years since he had ever been in their home world, feeling like finding a needle in a haystack. And yet, he was determined to make the most of this opportunity.
After all, who knew what kind of challenges awaited him? The thought shudders him with excitement, for despite abandoning this life he has grown accustomed to, he should be more excited about the future
that lies ahead of him.
The sick reminder of being stuck all of eternity in that repetitive society humanity had called home is really rushing back into his mind.
Where true freedom lies only beyond the Ark's walls was a motivating beacon for his reasons in doing this, telling him that there's a world out there full of possibilities and opportunities he never even dared to dream of before.
He had to keep this optimistic flame burning within him, or else he would fall back into the grip of unyielding despair, which would consume him whole if he did not keep his head high.
Looking around, he was surrounded by a maze of intricate levers, buttons, and monitors. Sunny found himself in the intimate command center of the transport ship. The space was rather cramped, with barely enough room for one to stand and stretch their arms fully.
However, the cramped quarters were more than made up for by the array of technological marvels that lined the walls. Metallic surfaces coated the interior, reflecting the dim light from the overhead panel in shimmering hues. The seats were made of a durable synthetic material designed to hold up under extreme pressure and temperature changes.
To his left, a series of large touch screens displayed real-time data on the ship's systems, including its current trajectory, fuel levels, and atmospheric conditions. To his right, a bank of small, flickering lights indicated the status of various subsystems.
Ahead of him lay the control console, a mass of levers, knobs, and switches that he could only begin to fathom the purpose of. They each seemed to have their own unique symbol, a code only understood by those trained in the art of piloting.
Regardless of the interior marvels, it was the breathtaking small windows on the field of stars outside that caught his attention. He could see the vast expanse of space, the twinkling stars, and the distant planets as they whizzed by in a blur.
The sight was amazing but recognizable altogether. While in the Ark, the sky was nothing more than an illusion to fill the dome's surface, a mere image to remind them of the beauty and freedom they lacked. And now he was witness to the real thing.
Sunny doesn't have words to explain its beauty. Sure, the stars and void are unmistakably the same in terms of appearance compared to the Ark, but something about the illusion lacks any real mirith to it when witnessing the real thing.
It was as if he were seeing the heavens for the first time; the sight was mesmerizing, like a dance between the cosmos and his very soul. Unlike illusions, the real fields of stars were alive with life and motion, the light dancing and changing as the ship moved through their midst.
Where he is going, the truth of his path in life will be revealed sooner or later as his friends lightly trace the shape of the control console. He will find a place where he belongs, a place where he can find his own true happiness and contentment.
"How long until we arrive back on earth?" Sunny sighed, leaning back in his chair, closing his eyes, and letting the sounds of the ship's engines lull him into a brief moment of peace from the turmoil he had gone through since getting here in the first place.
After coming inside this escape pod, the first thing that showed him on the screens was how long until he arrives on earth from the mere activation of taking a seat.
Just by that action alone, the entire transport ship itself immediately began its flight trajectory towards the Earth, calculating the distance, speed, and estimated time of arrival. But since he is asking now, it has been roughly less than an hour since he has been fiddling with his thumbs about the future and past altogether.
"What should I do...?" He wants to pass some time; perhaps sleeping will do, although the stress is deeply cemented within him as he can't fall asleep just yet. So the first thing he did was look at the stars outside, but Sunny had already gone bored by it.
"I wonder if there is a book or something to read," he asked out loud, looking around once more to receive nothing but the sight of the metallic walls and the control consoles and what not. With complete
disappointment, he slouched back into his chair and said, "I guess I'm out of luck."
Raising his head above the ceiling, he stared at it with an empty, blank look plastered on his face. "Sleep is my only option," he says before closing his eyes shut. Its first few moments were spent trying to get comfortable with the unfamiliar environment he had placed himself in.
The feeling of zero gravity floated around him, a sensation that was new and refreshing. The weightlessness was an odd sensation, one that took some getting used to when the ship launched itself into outer space.
At the moment zero gravity came, Sunny didn't give much thought to it, seeing it as just a minor inconvenience, but as time went on, the feeling sensation became something he could use to his advantage if the room he was in wasn't so confined. "I can't," he says, shaking his head with his eyes still closed.
He doesn't want to risk hitting something while he is in space; the chance of falling into a control panel or monitor can be disastrous for himself and the ship altogether. So the only thing he could do at the moment is remain firm in his seat while thinking of something else to occupy his bored state.
"Wait, my smart phone!" How'd he forget his precious relic? Sunny finally remembered the small device that he had always carried with him whenever he needed something to take his mind off. Without a moment of hesitation, he adjusted himself before taking out his smartphone and opening it with glee.
"Good thing they work like solar panels; I wouldn't imagine myself having to carry chargers or batteries all the time." He finds it rather convenient to have them as they would just be a hassle in getting what he wants from his product.
Showing many apps on the screen, the first thing he did was click on the shooter game he always plays and say, "Please work," begging the screen as he waited for the loading page to pop up. To his horror, a message popped up, saying, "Connection lost; please try again."
Sunny felt his entire face turn red with rage. "Why? Why now?" He can't believe his misfortune. "What am I supposed to do with all this free time?" His heart aches with the pain of a million exploding suns as his beloved smartphone acts as a drug for him whenever he needs to be stimulated from the dullness of his life.
It was the one thing that he could rely on to bring some excitement into his world. And now, it was failing him at the worst possible moment. "It's hopeless," he answered with defeat in his voice, expressing how helpless he feels at the moment.
The lack of entertainment was beginning to weigh heavily on his psyche, especially with the fact that he was alone and cut off from the rest of humanity. Then an idea came to his head: "My music!" A smile flashed across his face; the hope of hearing his favorite tunes brought a light into his darkening mood.
Reigniting the flicker of optimism within him, Sunny knows those music files are connected by the internet, therefore allowing him to listen to any of them without much problem. Even though the connection was lost, his mind raced to come up with another solution.
He can tap on his app storage, where there is a library of songs he had installed all those years ago. The thought of it excited him greatly, and all his sadness and despair were washed away by remembering this single detail in his little head.
Swiping right with his thumb, the screen showed him a set of apps ranging from calendar icons, games, and maps to other miscellaneous items he has yet to speak of. But what he's looking for is the music app, a simple icon of musical notes that should be easy to spot.
As his eyes moved in search of the said music app, his sight landed on the icon of where his pictures are stored in that particular app. Instead of continuing his search, he instinctively tapped on it as curiosity and interest overtook his decision.
Row after row showed a picture with a set of dates ranging from a few weeks ago to the time he was only a child back then. Scrolling past the ordinary times he spent with his family in the Ark, lies his childhood, where a picture of his parents and some girl he remembered from a dream stood together as if they were filled with joy.
It was the same girl from the memory he had when he was trapped inside some cabin or whatnot when he was playing the violin. "Who is Unny?" He wondered, not having a faint clue of who she was.
Aside from their own mother, whose face was covered entirely by the flash of light from the camera, everyone else was visibly filled with happiness that day.
A sense of nostalgia began to wash over him, a longing for the past he never really knew. "Why can't I remember?" He said, trying to find the connection between her and the encounter from that strange dream. The question remained unanswered when he continued pondering the past, searching for any recollection of memory in his mind.
Until red lights appeared everywhere around him, where all the screens turned a blood red color and the ship began to shake violently, "What's happening?!" The fear crept into his eyes when the entire transport ship's alarm began to blare.
Putting away his smartphone, he desperately held on to his final moments of peace from what he felt like he was about to crash into—anything that was dangerous and could lead to his tragic, final demise.
Then a mechanical feminine voice spoke through the ship, "Warning! Warning! The temperature is rising rapidly, and the hull may breach at any moment. Brace for impact immediately and prepare for an emergency landing," she calmly stated, the words chilling him to the bone as the reality of the situation dawned upon him.
"Estimation survival, ten percent chance. Injuries are a fifty percent chance. Death, ninety-nine percent chance," she continued, the words hanging in the air like a death sentence, the reality of the situation slowly starting to sink in.
"No, no, no," he repeated, shaking his head in disbelief. "This can't be happening to me now. I've come too far to give up," as his body trembled with fear, so the ship began to shake more violently than ever.
Forcing him to comply with the unwavering firmness in his voice, he shouted, "Computer! Take us to the nearest safe zone. I don't care where; just find us a place to land safely." He shouted, hoping this guide or whatever it is could listen to his demands, even if it's just a last-ditch effort.
The ship seemed to struggle against the forces that were tearing at its seams, groaning and creaking as if it were a living creature in agony. He waited for a response, only to get nothing in return as tears streamed down his face from the growing heat within this confined space.
"What do I do? What do I do?" He asked himself, frantically looking around for any means of escape, "Am I actually going to die like this?" He doesn't want to die in this state—anything but a terrible, torturous death that would be waiting for him.
"I won't let that happen!"
When he said those words, his whole body was forcibly moved to the side from the intense shaking of the vessel, where he unfortunately hit his head on the hard surface of the wall. Dizziness swept over him, causing him to blackout for a few seconds.
Darkness settled in, the only fading thought in his mind was his own name before he heard a loud crush all around him, consuming what little consciousness he had left.
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