A Place Like Home

Prologue
Year: 2276

My fellow astronomers here at NASA have done much calculation and speculation over the past century, and now we are quite sure of the information we have on the sun's termination that will come to pass eleven billion years or so from now. The sun will deplete all of the hydrogen fuel at its core, and explode. This nova will then become a black hole, and begin to implode upon itself.
We are developing a way of evacuating the Earth when the time comes. This information is confidential, and will not be revealed to the public until the proper time. We all hope that this plan will prove to be effective; we desire to preserve human life as we know it for as long as possible.
-James Hawkins, astronomer


It was rather warm for winter. Shannon knew this was because the sun had begun to expand a few, short years ago, and was gradually getting hotter. The planet was preparing to evacuate; that's why she was here with her best friends, Mina and Alex, to board a hyperspace craft to abandon Earth. All the people had been warned of the sun's demise and informed of how they would leave.
They were going to be boarded onto hyperspace crafts along with everyone all over the world. These crafts were colossal, and could travel at the speed of light. They were all programmed to launch at a specific time. Because of this, time was precious; if you faltered, you wouldn't make it onto the ship and would have to wait and go on the next one.
The sun wasn't due to go supernova for another nine billion years, but it had begun to expand, and it was best for people to start leaving now. Shannon, Alex, and Mina were among the first thousand people to be evacuated, and were to board the very first craft to leave.
As nostalgic thoughts clouded her brain, Shannon was dimly aware of Alex asking her something. She blinked. "Sorry, I was thinking...
What did you say?"
Alex grinned. "You just can't seem to keep your head down here, can you? I said, what do you think it's going to be like, 'traveling to another galaxy to find an inhabitable haven'?"
Shannon shrugged, inwardly laughing at the quote from the announcement of the evacuation. "I don't know. I just don't feel like leaving-Earth has been my home for eighteen years; all of my existence has been here. And now we're just...leaving."
"Well, I think it'll be exciting," Mina said. "Oh, look: we're boarding now!"
The three friends found themselves walking up the gangplank of the ship. There were many people walking up, too, all of them leaving on the first ship. These were the people who were guaranteed to make a safe trip.
As everyone took their seats and got themselves and their baggage settled, the craft began to prepare for liftoff. Alex guided them over to seats by a window, so they could view the event. The ship's engine started up, and the craft roared to life. Suddenly, a small object caught Shannon's eye. It was a cat that had wandered near the launching area, and was padding around, looking lost and confused. It began to make its way towards the ship.
"No!" Shannon cried, and ran back down the gangplank.
"Shannon, wait!" Alex called, and tore after her out of the spacecraft. The door slid shut behind him as he ran after Shannon, who had grabbed the roaming feline and was making a mad dash to get away from the ship so as not to get caught in the blast from the engines as the craft lifted off from the ground.
Alex reached her and realized that the ship was a good twenty feet in the air, and soaring higher. Panic and irritation washed over him as he grasped the fact that this was true, and he wasn't imagining it. They had missed their flight.
He turned to Shannon. "Why'd you run after that cat?" he yelled, exasperated.
She stared at him defiantly. "Well, I couldn't just let it be caught in that blast and die, now could I?"
Alex's face softened. "No, I suppose you're right. Come on, let's go and get another ship."
* * *
Shannon, Alex, and Sadie, as they had named the cat, found themselves boarded on the very last ship; it was the only one left with room. The craft had just launched into the air, and was leaving Earth's atmosphere. Soon, they would commence lightspeed and escape the supernova formerly known as the sun.
Alex smiled thinly at Shannon. "At least we know that Mina's safe."
"Yeah," Shannon responded. Alex gripped her hand comfortingly. Then the ship went into lightspeed, and from there everything went by so fast.
* * *
Mina paced the floor of the hyperspace craft. She had been in a state of panic when her friends abandoned the ship and she had been unable to follow, but this was much worse. The lightspeed travel had moved them all nine billion years into the future while distancing themselves far enough away from the sun. The ship's montior had allowed them to view the supernova; brilliant waves of fiery-red shooting off into space. Then the sun began to implode, and eventually became a dark, swirling black hole.
"Where are they?" Mina muttered to herself. She had seen all the other ships arrive in the same fashion as hers. All except for the last one, the one that Alex and Shannon had had to board. Mina suddenly had a sinking feeling that she would never see her friends again in her lifetime.
* * *
"Are we dead?"
Alex groaned in reply. "I don't feel dead."
Shannon cautiously got up from her sprawled position on the floor. "Are you hurt? Because if you're not, then I suggest you get up."
Alex groaned again, but slowly eased himself up to a sitting position. "I don't think I'm hurt, I'm just sore all over. What happened?"
Somewhere, Sadie meowed. Shannon ran a hand through her hair. "Well, the ship malfunctioned, and we didn't make it in time. The black hole gained conrol over our craft, and pulled us back into it."
Alex wore a bewildered expression. "But the sun was supposed to implode nine billion years from now, not now!"
"But when we traveled at lightspeed, we also moved forward in time."
Alex thought a minute. "So, we got sucked into the black hole, and," he said, looking around the ship, "you, me, and Sadie are the only survivors. But what now? Where do we go?"
"Outside, I suppose. We can't live the rest of our lives in here."
"But how do we know that we'll be able to survive out there...wherever it is we are?"
Shannon helped him to his feet. "There's only one way to find out."
They opened the hatch and stepped outside. The two stood still for a moment, gaping in awe at the sight. Luscious, green grass grew at their feet, and an unidentifiable aroma wafted to their nostrils. Somewhere, the call of some kind of creature sounded, sweet and haunting. The air was pleasantly cool and brisk, like on a spring morning.
"I think I could learn to like it here," Alex said, smiling warmly at Shannon. She smiled at him in return. And, together with Sadie at their heels, made their way down the gangplank.


Epilogue
Mina had seen the strange planet from a distance, before the ship had landed there. Everyone filed out of the craft, and were welcomed by a sweet, unidentifiable aroma. There were strange plants growing in the surrounding area, along with grass. She drifted away from the large group of former Earth-people and began to explore. If this was going to be her new home, she'd better start getting aquainted with it.
After walking for some time, she spied a quaint, little house over the top of a hill. Curious, she made her way over to it. There was smoke rising from the chimney. She hesitantly knocked on the wooden door.
"Come in," a pleasant voice beckoned. It was slightly familiar to Mina in a way, but she couldn't figure out why. She pushed open the door and walked inside.
There was an old couple sitting in chairs, with young children sitting on the floor around them. The woman looked at Mina, and her eyes instantly lit up. "Mina!" she cried, and ran to hug the confused girl standing in the doorway. She moved with astonishing speed for someone her age.
"Do I know you?" asked Mina, taken aback.
"Mina, it's me, Shannon!"
Mina's eyes widened. The man came to stand by Shannon's side. He grinned at Mina. She recognized that smile at once. "Alex?" she laughed, happy to be reunited with her best friends. "How did you get here?"
"It's a long story," Shannon replied, still beaming. "You'd better sit down."




I wrote this in seventh grade and I know it isn't the best; I just wanted to know what people thought of it. Hoped you didn't find it too boring!