Ship of Survivors

Chapter 1

I awoke to gunshots in the street. It was beginning to become normal day after day, night after night. The automated phone system that called me every morning was telling the Chosen to keep the fact that they had a ticket to the biggest ship in the world to themselves, in fear of getting killed and your ticket being stolen. I got up and went to the safe on the wall and opened it to make sure that it was there. Of course it was there, right where I put it a week ago when I was returned from being summoned to the White House where me and 4,000 other people from the United States were told that we would be given a ticket for a ship that would be our home for the next 10 years.
I distinctly remember the group of scientist one by one going up to the podium and producing power point after power point on sea levels and global warming, and unprecedented rain in the forecast. Pictures of a lush, green Antarctica with not a bit of snow in sight. It had been years since we had seen snow in the United States and yet Global Warming remained a myth to the higher powers and so now because of the ignorance and politics we were facing what we only read about in science fiction, what movies producers had made millions on in the past decades depicting the end of the world. With all of this information the bottom line was we were all facing the harsh reality that it was over for us, and this is the best they could come up with. A way to try to continue humanity with 4,000 people from each continent.
I had spent my life learning and building a company that boomed overnight and before I knew it my life's work was worth billions, and my company cut poverty and homelessness down to a mere number in the hundreds. I never could have dreamed that an idea of companies and the top earners, taking and helping those less fortunate would have results like this but to my surprise the platform I had built where a connection could be made between the richest and the poorest did just that. 5 years ago it became a federal law that every company and earner that made over 500,000 a year was to register and sponsor one individual, or family a year. Providing them with the education, training, job and living assistance they needed to improve their situation and join the working middle class of this country. It also required everyone that made under the national poverty level to register with my company to receive help and they were obligated to follow whatever program they were chosen under.
I was still confused on why I had been chosen to receive one of these tickets a be part of the 4,000, but we were told that we would receive a more detailed packet upon arriving to the ship. The next day as I sat in a hotel room waiting on my cab to take me to the airport, The announcement came over the news telling folks to button down the hatches and God Bless and God Speed. To each their own. But they did not mention the shop or the 4,000 that would be boarding that ship in just 6 days.
I felt like I was going to be sick, how was I going to live with this fact that everyone I loved, everyone I knew and cared about were going to die but I got to live and I couldn't even talk to anyone about it. I spend my days wrestling with the fact of choosing to board this ship and live or just to die so I didn't have to live with myself knowing that everyone was gone. I had never been more relieved that I hadn't gotten married or had children yet. I was still focused on my career and just had started to get the desire to start dating again and pursuing relationships outside of friends, family and work.
I went over to my calendar to see what day it was even though I already knew, I still had to make sure everyday was not a nightmare I was waking up in and that this was now my reality, written in big letters was the family gathering that was planned for later that day so we all could say goodbye. I decided I might as well get up for the day and get ready to face my entire family knowing they were all going to be dead in two days and I would be on a ship, headed nowhere, for the next 10 years. A long hot bath was in order this morning so I turned on some tunes and took my hot bath preparing for the day ahead.
The bath was nice and seemed to help ease some of my anxiety I had woken with earlier, It was warm outside so I dressed in some jeans and a t-shirt with some local band on it that I had heard play last year at a festival downtown. As I was putting on my shoes getting ready to leave for the dreaded family gathering, there was a knock at my door. I ask who it was and I got a reply "Post - service for the United States Navy Mam" I unlocked door and signed for the letter thanked him and closed the door. The front was marked with a government water seal, and addressed to me. I opened the letter and began to read it:

Dear Ms. Tyler,
This letter is to inform you of your trip itinerary and the rules and regulations and luggage restrictions.
You will only be allowed seven days worth of clothing consisting of casual wear, business wear and nightwear. 1 pair of dress shoes, one pair of athletic shoes, undergarments and hosiery, All clothing must fit in one medium size luggage. You will be aloud to bring 1 medium size luggage containing personal items and anything you would like to bring with you.
You will need to bring these required items. Your birth certificate and any of your family's birth records, A family genealogy, any family bibles, records or anything you may have pertaining to your families history, and memory for our records and Library of the American People.
Please do not bring anything more then what we have listed here. Thank you for your service, we look forward to seeing you on The Liberty.

It was signed the Department of Homeland Security, I looked around the room at everything I had already packed thinking I was taking my whole apartment with me and my heart just sank, Looked like when I got back home later on I would be downsizing my belongings.
Being careful of my surroundings I got into my cab and headed toward my brother's house for the family gathering where I would pretend it was my last two days on earth and we were all gonna die. At that point in time I didn't even know for sure if It wasn't going to be my last days on earth. I could have just died with the rest and been just fine or that is what I thought then.