In Search of Home

Chapter 1

The meteor appeared from behind the Sun. It was massive, about six miles across, but the scientists told them not to worry. On its course, it would miss the Earth by a large margin. All that would happen would be a rather pretty, rather small meteor streaking by in two weeks' time.

News stations ran stories about this 'mysterious meteor' for a day, theorizing about where it had come from. Aliens was a common one, blasted upon the internet like a drug, earning chuckles from those who did not believe and held breath from those who did. Others said it was merely large debris from the asteroid belt that bisected the rocky and gas planets in the Solar System. Others simply didn't care where it came from and went on with their day.

The meteor would enter their sight in two weeks, and it would disappear in a night, both from sight and from the Earth's population's minds. It would amount to nothing. There would be nothing in the history books, nothing from the news stations after it left. It would be as if nothing ever happened. 

But it did not disappear. 

As it lumbered closer to the Earth, its velocity started to slow. Those who owned telescopes swore it saw parts of the meteor begin to be replaced by metal before lazily switching back to its original rocky state. Scientists told them not to worry. It was slowing down due to the gravity of Earth, and it would use it as a slight accelerant as it passed, but it would still not hit the planet. It was still on course. 

That was until it stopped. It had gotten closer to the Earth, visible through its hazy atmosphere, clouded with pollutants and clouds. Those all over the world watched in horrified fascination as it slowed to a complete stop. 

Most of Earth was plunged into complete electronic isolation as an electromagnetic pulse erupted from the meteor with a viciousness that rivalled the Sun's solar flares. But while its atmosphere and magnetic field protected Earth from these far-reaching solar flares, there was nothing it could do from such a short distance. Electronics were disabled everywhere. Cars that relied on electronics stuttered to a stop, causing massive pileups on several highways. Airplanes were suddenly flying in the dark without aid, causing many emergency landings.

Another pulse of energy was sent from the meteor, and governments all over the world were found unable to communicate, both through radio waves or electronics. Radios played eerie silence, interrupted by occasional static. Televisions, if they were still standing after the first wave, had nothing to broadcast. People were unable to make frantic calls to their loved ones, and those that were on the phone already were silenced. 

Those who could see the meteor watched as its exterior slowly dropped away to reveal an unworldly spaceship. Large enough to fit the entire planet's human population if they were crammed like sardines, the ship had started to move with a slow gracefulness. It descended into Earth's atmosphere easily, and when it landed somewhere in the middle of a populated park, large figures exited the spacecraft. 

That was the day that humanity had unwillingly left Earth behind.

***

The cargo bay that they had shoved what seemed to be the entire population of the United States into was, as you could guess, cramped, hot and smelled terrible. Truthfully, Viktor had no idea how many people were in here. All he knew was that he had been sitting in an uneventful algebra class when the lights had gone out and his phone had stopped working. Panicked shouts came from across the classroom and the school, so Viktor had shrugged it off as a weird power outage, though that did not quite explain why his phone had stopped working. He shoved it into his pocket as his teacher ushered them out into the school's front lawn, watching as the rest of the school trickled out. 

The weather had just begun to turn into winter, so he was a bit miffed about being outside. He didn't even know what time it was, but he knew that it was not the end of the school day. So it came as a slight surprise when the principal made them all go home. Viktor grumbled in annoyance, waving goodbye to his friends as they eagerly walked to their own cars in the parking lot. He had no way to get home without walking since his father worked until he got out of school. His dad was usually the one to bring him home, as he was only just starting to get his learner's permit at the ripe age of fifteen. He began his walk home, hands shoved into his pockets, not noticing that some of the cars were unable to start.