It was dark. Our Hero had fallen. Man has gone underground; the heat of the sun now scorching Earth's surface bright red.

Fortunately, man still retains one invaluable asset. His mind.

.It was as if someone placed a gigantic lens in space, focusing rays of sunlight into packets of condensed energy.

Man had figured out how to use this energy and prevent the interior of Earth from overheating.

Man. His race was clever enough to transport the ancients' knowledge to new underground dwellings, much of technology as they knew it had been preserved.

Air-conditioned cities are now built underground, and people go about their business same as always. Of course, stepping out of a vehichle or an inverted building for more than a few minutes resulted in rapid overheating and certain death. But it was fine as long as you were careful.

.The geotherm has been harnessed, and the sun's energy powered new machines. Everything was very similar to the beginning days, except for one big difference.

Food.

Due to the lack of sunlight, plants are unable to grow naturally, and are exteremely expensive to grow artificially. Living costs were very high. Healthcare was highly regulated, and a specific birth quota was assigned so that the population wouldn't grow. In addition, each child was genetically modified based on his or her position in society. 

In Yve, the first city, home of 40 million inhabitants each with a life expectancy of a hundred years, only one-percent of the population was allowed to have a child at any given time. Anyone who doesn't comply faces immediate incarceration.

"waah... Waah! ... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

What? An unregulated baby? ... That can't be good!

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"Shhhh Shhh... don't cry my dear!"

The mother of the newborn was looking at her child affectionately. Nothing could tear them apart. Not even those Order of the New World cowards. 

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Ellie had been dragged into this stupid society unwillingly. She still desired to remain on the surface, desperately investigating the cause of what's now simply known as "The End" so that she can combat it. Maybe even reverse it. And oh she was so close, she could feel it! Even when Hero died, she was one of the few who remained vigilant and devoted to the cause. Back there, on the surface, experiments could be run, soil samples taken, and the night sky would have been observed for any astronomical changes. 

However, with the mouse menace threatening her at every turn, and New World representatives at her doorstep, she was ultimately forced down to Underland.

Due to El's incredible value as a scientist, the New World made a great effort to obtain her. When she first arrived in Yve, the city was booming... it was a highly advanced community unlike anything she had ever seen. Everything might be just fine afterall! Wait ... "Who are you fooling Ella? Who are THEY fooling? It's not like it will end with just the surface. I know more than anybody that Earth itself  is doomed, and here you fools are! Just milling about like nothing happened, instead of trying to do something about it!" She missed the light, regardless of how hot it was. She missed the surface, and was sad of the prospect that she may never see it again.

"Silence, Prisoner!" exclaimed one of the more muscular transport personell, as he smacked the butt of his rifle into her side. "You should be grateful that you're even alive, with all the trouble you've given us." Ellie eyed him with contempt. He was wearing a full orange suit, complete with a double breathing mask; this is standard dresscode for New World operatives. Although she couldn't see his face, he became engraved in her memory. Later, this man would rise in the ranks, and become more trouble than she could have imagined.

"...WA.. WA..." 

The cries brought Ellie out of her reverie. Oh no! That little trip down memory lane distracted her from her precious child! and she hurriedly rocked the bundle of joy wrapped in white linen from side to side in an effort to subdue the wailing.

Nothing was more important than this right now. In him - in this small insecure child, - lay all her hope. A chance to reclaim the surface. An opportunity for her dreams to come true. And a perfect vessel for scientific advances to be installed in his growing body.

At the beginning, we were all but a speck in the universe, but we now exist in our manipulative forms. With the power to understand and modify. Such growth is the miracle of life. 

waaaaa.......    

~Thud. Thud.~ Thud. Thud.~

Pacing around was Deeb, a nervous look on his face.

"We're so dead!" he says, walking across the small cave he calls home. "They'll kill him! They'll kill us all!"

"Dear..."

"What can we do! How are we going to take care of this thing! It's over!"

"You're being louder than the child honey..."

"I can't d..."

"SHUT UP!" Yelled the mother after just having gave birth.

The woman was exhausted, and fell over into a painful blackout.

 With all of these things happening,

No one noticed me in the room.

No one saw me crawl into the baby's mind.

No one but the distressed child.