Everyone had moved to the kitchen table, Natalie's whole life the kitchen, had been the place she associated with warmth, family and life. The D'kane's were seated near the end of the table and seemed to be a little uncomfortable.

Amanda however was sitting in the place beside Natalie's, that had always been where she sat, when visiting the family. She seemed a bit better, now that she was in a more familiar setting.

Natalie walked over to her mother, who pulled her in for a hug. Natalie hugged her back, then pulled away to sit beside Amanda.

"Natalie," her mother started. "I want you to know I love you, we all love you. If we could stop this we would, we do have a complaint going on the courts."

"Mum, it's alright, I know you haven't abandon me." She said trying to ease her mother's obvious pain. "It's not as if you won't see me again, we can still connect through the pods. I will be able to tell you everything that goes on."

"Oh that's right," Amanda said, this seemed to brighten her up considerably. "Also you can join Natalie on the new planet, Father says that he and Mother will be on the first open flight. When they allow everyone to join the new world."

"Yes, Amanda's right." Mrs D'kane said. "We have already placed ourselves on the waiting list, for the world the girls are going too."

Natalie's father looked towards her mother, she could see hope in their eyes. Looking around, Natalie could see the same hope and even excitement bubbling up in her family. It was like someone had thrown them a lifeline.

"You are all thinking of coming to the colony world as well?" She asked, not daring to believe completely. "Won't that mean you will lose the careers you have all been working on?"

"Little Bee, I'm sure your new home will need us, just as much, if not more then this tired, over governed world does." Her father said. "I for one, feel no pain at the thought of leaving, they tore any loyalties from me. When they threw my daughter away."

"This is a bit of a turn around for you Charles," Mum said. "You knew about all this, but didn't warn us."

"Yeah, for that I can only plead for your forgiveness, I have been arrogant." Mr D'kane said quietly. "I allowed myself to be blinded, to the pain I was inflicting on people, I have since resigned from the company."

Natalie listen to the conversations, occasionally she squeezed Amanda's hand, she was feeling a lot better now that everyone was talking about emigrating to the new world. This was more a force separation, then a final goodbye. It was still going to be hard, but she could handle it, knowing it wasn't going to be for long.

"Mr D'kane? How long do you think it will be, before they open the world up for everyone?" She asked.

"It won't be quick, Natalie." He told her. "You kids will likely be eighteen or so before they open it up."

"That's alright," she answered. "It won't be to bad, we will just have to keep in touch by the pods, until you can all join us."

Natalie could feel the optimism radiating from everyone, so when she heard the knocking at the front door, signaling the return of the three men. She was able to face it with a lighter heart, and her head held high.

She followed the technicians up to her room to make sure they handled the pod carefully. They surprised her, by placing her carryall into the pod, then they weighed everything, including her.

"Well done, young lady," the head technician said, cheerfully. "You managed to stay just inside the weight limit allowed. We have dealt with so many over the last three days, your the first one, we don't need to repackage everything, you get to keep what you want to take."

With that, he directed the men to wheel the pod out and carefully guide it down the stairs. A feat made a little easier by the gravbelts strapped around it. The pod was still extremely heavy, the gravbelts were only able to lighten it.

Once the pod was loaded, she hugged her family goodbye, keeping a smile on her face and constantly trying to remind them, she would talk to them again tomorrow in the pod. Turning around, she joined Amanda on the small bus. They waved out the window, until they couldn't see them anymore. Then sat quietly, the bus stopped a few more times to pick up more teenagers and a couple of adults.

Soon they reached an open planned compound, it had large army styled barracks. Set in amongst fenced and unfenced fields. She caught sight of her first ever live cows, grazing in one of the fields. As the bus pulled up to what was clearly the administration building, she could see a group of teens leading ponies, around in a circle.

The driver called to everyone to disembark from the bus, he had them stand in a large red circle. Telling them someone would be along shortly, to direct them to the barracks where their pods had been placed.

Natalie didn't mind the wait, everywhere she looked, she could see interesting things going on. Some of it she could recognise, from having used it in the game, other stuff was totally new. She was interrupted in her sight seeing, by the arrival of a matronly looking woman.

"So you lot are the next batch of colonists." The woman said. "Welcome aboard, I would like to first tell you, we have one rule here, do not leave the base. If you try to leave all privileges will be stopped and you will be placed in confinement, until your scheduled departure."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

After that some what chilling greeting, the woman, who hadn't bothered to introduce herself. Led them down a long street, until they came to a barracks with a large number eighty between the two doors leading into it.

"Girls on the left, boys to the right," they were told. "Go on in and find the room with your pod in it. This will be your home for the next six months, you are now designated as group eighty."

After rattling this off, the woman turned and walked off, she didn't even wait to see if they complied with her orders. Natalie shrugged, motioning to Amanda, she went to the left door opened it and walked in. She found herself in a long hallway, that looked like it ran the whole length of the building. There were open doors all down one side of the hallway.

Natalie approached the first one, inside the room a pod was sitting against a wall, it wasn't hers. The room was set out like a miniature appartment. She could see a very small bathroom area in the far corner. By the right hand side of the room, was a tiny kitchen. The left hand side a small table and chair.

Natalie moved to the next room, this one was exactly like the first, it too didn't hold her pod. So she kept walking, near the middle of the hallway, she found Amanda's pod. It was the same as hers in general colour, but the motive on the front was a stylised rabbit. Natalie remembered when Amanda had chosen that for her pod. She watched Amand enter the room.

A little further down she finally found her pod. She looked at the everything in her room, noting the storage cubes by the kitchen section. They were full of food ingredients, when she checked the tiny fridge, she found it fully stocked, with enough basic food items for a week. It looked like cooking your own meals was expected here.

Natalie opened the pod, the carryall was still sitting in it. Carefully inspecting the contents, she found everything was there and in good condition. Natalie pulled all the clothing out. Putting the pile away, into the small set of cubes, placed back behind the head of the pod.

With a bit of a struggle, she lifted the carryall with the remaining things still in it and placed it on the floor near the clothes filled cubes. At the moment, she could see no advantage to unpacking all of that, she was only supposed to be here for six months. Maybe as the time passed she might change her mind, but for now it was all safer in its wrappings.

Entering the pod, Natalie called out to Sam. "Status, Sam, have you been treated properly?"

"All systems are functional, Natalie." Sam replied. "I have receive very good treatment."

Natalie smiled, at least one thing was stable in her life, she still had Sam. She checked the time, it was to early to login for her work section.

"Umm, Sam?" Natalie was suddenly unsure. "How do we connect to our raft from here?"

"We don't, Natalie," Sam replied. "You have been taken off the work roster completely. That is only for Citizens of Earth, you are no longer a citizen. Once placed here you became the Citizen of GammaZ469, or as it is called affectionately called Spar, to honour the researchers, who didn't make it back."

"That's an unusual name for a planet, Spar." Natalie tryed it out. "I think I like it. So if I have no work detail what am I supposed to do with my night hours, it seems very wasteful to not use them for something."

"I'm sure you will have plenty to fill them with once the training starts, Natalie." Sam replied. "For now you could reach out to your family, they are waiting in your space for you."

Natalie wasted no more time, after hearing that, she closed her eyes and allowed Sam to log her into it. In short order she was being hugged and questioned about the place she was at. The family kept her busy describing everything, until it was time for them to leave, for their work shifts.

Natalie logout as well, she was hungry, she set about making herself a quick easy salad, with boiled eggs, followed by a tall glass of milk and a couple of slices of bread, with cheese. Natalie had just finished cleaning up her small kitchen, when she heard a voice outside her door followed by two quick knocks.

Whoever that was didn't wait around, she could hear them rapping on the other doors. Natalie opened her door, sticking her head out she, she watched a young woman knock on another door, while calling out.

"Come on, out you lot, meeting in the square."

So that's what was said, Natalie shrugged to herself and emerged from her room. She spotted Amanda, quickening her steps, she was soon beside her. Together, they followed all the other teens, as they head outside.

There were a lot of teenagers and young adults out, all of them moving in the same direction. Following them they came to an enormous paved area. She could see a raised stadium, at one end with a few patiently, waiting older Men and Woman standing on it. Some sort of signal, must have reached the ones on the stadium, one of the men moved forward to the amplifier.

"Welcome, Citizens of the World's Haven and Spar, yes it's true, you are all no longer citizens of Earth. You are here to learn about your new planet, your home, the place you will build a life and family on." The man said. "I am Instructor Jacob, some of you will be personally tutored by me, I have just returned from the world, Haven."

There was a quiet murmur running throughout the crowd. She wondered who would be training Spar's citizens, since the researcher assigned to the planet had passed away. She turned her attention back to the instructor.

"Quiet please, ladies, gentlemen," The instructor said. "Up here with me are are the instructors, Clarence, Nathan, and Chris, we are the main ones, those of you designated for the world Haven will be seeing the most of. For those of you who are going to Spar, the team that was supposed to be your instructors, sadly didn't make it back to us."

At this the crowd became noisy, as worried teens, wonder what the world they had been assigned to was like, if their instructors hadn't survived it.

"Please, Spar's citizens, quiet, the team didn't die on the planet," Jacob yelled quickly. "They died, due to vessel error, a month away from earth."

Everyone calmed down, Natalie looked around, she could see no sign that anyone thought that bit of information strange.

"You will be trained, by Instructors Jace, Emily, Don and Jackson, they have studied the information that was sent back by the team. So don't fear you will be any less trained, then the people of Haven." Jacobs continued. "We will do our best by all of you, most of your training will be done by virtual simulations. You will be placed into simulations of the area, that is being prepared for your arrival, as we speak. Here on Earth you will live in the barracks, on your new home the barracks are only temporary. Each of you will be required to find and claim a place of your own."

Natalie was surprised, she thought they would control things a bit more then that. Still she liked the idea, right then and there she decided to become a Farmer. She wanted to claim as much of her new home as she could.

"That's all for now," Jacob said. "As you leave the square please take a sim cube from the tables, Blue cubes are for Haven, Green for Spar. Thank you for your time and patience, you may return to your assigned barracks."