Love, Saturn YA/NA sci-fi Ten years ago, the first batch left. Trading one life of luxury for another, this collection of the filthy rich and their legion of the best scientists, engineers, and military shot off in a ship that provided anything they could ever want. They began the preliminary journey to secure and begin developments on a stable planet far off. They would call this New Earth, which boasted a myriad of domes and a bustling new civilization.
Eight years ago, the final batch left. These were the few who were able to collect enough money in the two years of ‘New Earth’ departures to afford tickets. This was far from luxury, merely a means of transport on par with a commuter ship. There were no other means, though, to make it nearly as lovely as the first. As Earth crumbled beneath them, it was clear that anything would be better than this.
The remaining billion people on Earth watched as this final ship took off, some secretly hoping for an explosion. The oceans have consumed most of the landmass, forcing the remaining few to collect around whatever precious water sources they could find, agriculture has become near impossible with the erratic weather patterns making food scarce, and the communities lose hope quickly. A few politicians and scientists are among these groups, suffering in solidarity with those who they have failed.
A few decades later, and those left for dead– the actual final batch, a mere 1,500 people– finally collected all of the resources and developments to get them off the Desolate Planet. They shoot into the darkness leaving Earth to mend itself and claim the millions of people it took during its collapse. For the next lifetime, they lived on a rickety ship made from spare parts, destroyed buildings, and what final remaining natural resources were left in search of a new planet to call home. Years later, they found somewhere and began settlement with the aid of the Native species.
The human population, once over seven billion, is now merely two little stars in the universe destined to reunite.