Prologue

It’s the year 2080 and WWIII is coming to an end. Numerous countries have been destroyed and the nuclear fallout is at its peak. Fertile lands wrecked, beautiful towering city’s obliterated and Mother Nature is filled with so much radiation that it is now nothing more than an toxic wasteland. Only 9% of the earth is estimated to still be able to support life! However this percentage is shrinking by the week as the nuclear winter approaches. Scientists have predicted that in 1.3 years the surface will be unable to support life.

Out of the ashes of the ruined countries two major powers have emerged. The Southern Alliance (SA) and the Northern United Nations (NUN). Both powers desperately sought salvation from the oncoming tribulations. NUN sought to harness the heat from the Earths core. They started construction on massive self-sufficient bunkers deep within the earths crust where it is still warm. Desperately seeking the day they could return to the surface. However due to the incredible amount of radiation scientists estimated it will take two century’s before they can even consider it.

The Southern Alliance, a technologically more advanced Nation compared to NUN sought an alternative solution for their survival. 5 years ago deep within space SA scientist discovered a collapsing dark star that warped the temporal and dimensional space surrounding it. Upon further research they discovered that time was warped at a 100:1 ratio. For every year spent within the warped space 100 years would pass outside of it. SA sought to send a transport ship named Salvation with 500,000 of humanities best and brightest in hopes that they could utilise this anomaly to travel 200 years into the future while only ageing a minimal amount.

However 3 major problems where required to be solved before they could apply this plan. One Humanities space flight capabilities are minimal thus it would take 10 years one way to reach the collapsing star. Two- taking 500,000 untrained civilians into space for 22 years is an dangerous task, psychologists believed that civilians wouldn’t last 2 years before suffering major phychological conditions. Three-the situation on Earth upon their return is uncertain and 500,000 weakened civilians with no real survival skills will more than likely barely last a month.

The solution proposed was an ambitious one. S.A created VAC’s. Virtual Actualisation Chamber. A new innovation created in times of intense need. It has 3 major features each designed to enable the SA to make the 22 year journey back and forth from the dark star. First it connected the user to a virtual massive multiplayer survival role playing game. Or in simpler turns it’s a virtual reality designed to teach the user survival skills need upon their return to earth. It functioned almost as another form of life, designed to be entertaining and fulfilling so the user retains their sanity in space. Second it slows the users metabolism to a stop and puts the user into deep hibernation so that it can function with the smallest amount of nutrients required. Lastly through unique nanite and genetic technology it slowly strengthens the users body as they gain strength in game, they can even recreate unique supernatural abilities gain within the game and bring them to reality. All this was done in preparation for their return.

However my story doesn’t start here it starts just at the end of the 12 year long journey and the beginning of the trip back...As Salvation carrying the hope of 500,000 people began exiting the temporal field it was buffered by a wave of raw energy. It was battered back and forth through space nocked about like a canoe in a hurricane. “Ahhh crap the lower left engine blew, quick send the engineers down to get that baby back up and running. We don’t have enough power to escape the gravitational pull without it.” the captain cried out. “Right on it sir however we only have two engineers on this shift, the rest are in the VAC’s.” the first officer replied. “Then the faster they get the message the better. Get Crescent to go fix it NOW.” The Captain shouted back.”

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Deep within bowls of the ship I watch as the electrical cables flared and flashed with sparks. My wrist HUD came to life “Crescent get you ass down to the lower deck and fix the 8th engine, we’re gonna need it to get out of this shit storm or you might as well say goodbye to ever seeing earth again.” I watch on with dead eyes as the first officer ordered me around like I was a servant. In game I was a slave to an information guild, restrained from ever gaining a sliver of power. Now not only was I treated worse than shit in game but now I was treated like a servant in reality. As I stubbled forth with my unenhanced body, I dragged my feet over to the diagnostic panel of the 8th engine. “Cracked plating, damaged directional thrusters ahhh crap damaged external combustion thrusters. Are you kidding i have to go into that shit storm.” My eyes followed another wave of energy as it striped off more plating from the hull. As I mechanically got into a space suit and grabbed my engineer kit I thought to myself why the hell am I risking my life for those losers still comfortably sitting in their luxury VACs. Then I realised I just didn’t care any more. I’d had enough of being deceived into slavery, treated like trash and having to put up with abuse on a daily basis. To hell with it if I succeed good for them, if I die well I wasn’t living a life worth living in the first place. With a burst of courage or perhaps hopelessness I hit the red tinted airlock button. As the tempered steel door opened fully I jumped out onto the magnetic grating I maneuvered my suits thrusters ready to lunch myself out into the warped space of the collapsing dark. Lifting off the grating I pushed my thrusters into overdrive with an ever increasing conviction that perhaps I might just make it out of this alive! As I reached the damaged electrical circuit that was blocking the flow of energy from reach the 8th engine, I checked behind me as a minor energy wave approaches. Grabbing ahold of the security rail by my side I brace myself.

The Impact batters me, rocking me back and forth like a rag doll. I feeling a scorching agonising pain on my back and then it’s over. Nothing but the dull ache all over my body telling me of the damage I experienced. All of a sudden my HUD flares to life “Crescent what the hell are you doing down there, I order you to fix that engine NOW. There’s a massive energy wave radiating from the star. Our sensors are reading it’s about to go super nova. If you don’t fix that engine now humanities hope is dead!”. Ahh beautiful just when I needed more motivation... That’s how they all do it, guilt tripping you into their traps I thought to myself. With renewed focus I start repairing the circuit. Fixing broken transformers, power cables and energisers. 30 minutes of pain staking, nerve racking minutes of fear and danger. It was finally complete. Suddenly I felt a looming sense of oppression behind my back. Turning around I saw the most beautiful symphony of colours in my entire life. Expanding hues of violet and blue, explosions of red and green however behind it all I saw the dark truth that if I didn’t get back in the ship ASAP I was a dead man. Pushing my thrusters into overdrive I accelerate head for the nearest air lock. My HUD crackled to life “Crescent have you finished the repairs to the 8th engine?” the commander asked! Quickly responding “Yes sir the engine is functional, I’m heading back to the ship now!” One last time the HUD flashed “You’ve done your Nation proud soldier!” The commander said in a solemn voice. The the HUD showed a black screen, the sign of a disconnection. A disturbing foreshadowing of what is to come. As I was 10 meters away from the airlock the iconic engine lights beside me flare to life. Energy began coursing through the power pylons right beside me. Feeling a cocktail of fear and adrenaline coarse through my veins as my body desperately yet futilely tried everything it could to help me. All of a sudden the ships rear engines exploded into action desperately accelerating the ship to absurd speeds. The force of it knocking me back in space. As my view returned to the location the salvation of humanity should of been all a saw was pitch black space littered with beautiful gems. Turning my eyes back upon my destruction I watch the fast approaching symphony of colours. As they closed in upon me I saw what appeared to be spacial fractures of warped space. I closed my eyes and embraced my destiny. A wave of scorching pain, I felt like I was being twisted and drag through a pinhole. Then nothing....Black pain and agony!