Trapped on Novas

Chapter 1

The end of the world didn't come like the classic Hollywood films of the 21st century forecasted, death and horror as nature exacted its revenge on the human race for its centuries of mis treatment. Instead the end came like a slow lingering illness, each moment that passed the earth grew weaker and more fragile as the toll finally showed.

Nicole stood in the hot accommodation block looking out the window at the arid landscape, the lush vegetation of decades gone by replaced by dust and sand. Coughing at the toxic air that could only be scrubbed so much by the cheap air conditioning units she looked over at the glistening biodome in the distance, the safe haven of the rich and powerful.

It was 2245 by the old calendar, nearly 100 years since the planet started dying and long before Nichole was born 19 years ago. She wondered just what this place would have been like only 75 years ago, some of the elders told tales of flowing rivers and green trees, something Nichole never had, and in most likely hood never would see in reality.

When the earth started to perish the world powers soon started moving aggressively into the safer green zones around the planet, northern canada, siberia and southern America. As tensions raised and the deserts swept across all equatorial areas something had to give. The middle east launched the first nukes, deep into the Chinese green territory that sparked a world war that almost eradicated the human civilisation. In 4 hours 99% of the green zones on the planet were wiped out, 84 % of the worlds population incinerated in an instant.

From that day on the survivors had to live in the sweltering desert areas to stay away from the nuclear fallout. The world powers came together and soon countries failed to exist, humans rallied together in and effort to stop the extinction of the entire race.

Only Africa escaped the nuclear blasts but the continent had been ravaged by the heat of the sun making habitation almost unbearable. So the biodomes were born, 50 started out to house the remaining millions of humans from all over, but they overflowed and soon admittance had to be earned or bought, the survivors building shanty towns close by.

She looked over to the shipyard supply docks in the distance before tracing the lines that shot into the sky up to the tiny specks in space. She smiled, knowing that up in orbit the latest batch of vessels were under construction and it would soon be time for the crew lists to be selected, not that someone like her stood much chance.

The arcs were humanities last hope of survival, everyone knew that. To date 14 vessels had been successfully lunched into deep space, each carrying on average over 5000 people to carefully selected planets capable of supporting long term life. The ESA (Earth Space Agency) had spent decades sending robots into space searching and its was only recently that three planets were confirmed as habitable.

The first ships launched immediately, a two thousand strong army of people along with a ship filled with equipment and supplies heading to each planet. The key was the deep stasis that doctors had discovered that allowed for the crew to be put into a sort of suspended animation. This meant that the 30 year journey would only seem like moments to the crew.

As people starved and the earth deteriorated even further news came through from the first planet that the settlement was successfully ready and ready for the next stage. More ships launched, the influential and rich managing to buy there way to a better future whilst the poor slaved away building the ships. It wasn't until the riots of 2238 that the government realised that they had to do something about the availability of places to the less fortunate if the ships were to be built, and hence the lottery was launched.

By combining skill sets and medical data each person was entered into different lottery pots, a number of who would be picked at random depending upon the ships destination and capacity.

Sighing she looked over at the information point in her flat and grabbed her kit, it was almost time for work. She hated the job she had, it was hot, dangerous and completely pointless. Outside in the heat all day with only the biosuite and respirator to keep her safe she was one of hundreds how spent their days scaling the huge biodome servicing the energy panels and engineering systems.

Still, the work had its perks, she was on decent rations for a start, unlike others she knew that barely got enough food day to day. There was also the perk of being in a better selection pot for the arks, but even Nichole knew that the chances of her name coming up were remote.

By the end of the day Nichole was hot, knackered and in desperate need of a shower. The recycled liquid was foul, but it managed to get the worst off her as she stripped down out the filthy biosuite and rubbed the grime from her face.

Later that evening Nicole stepped into the bar and grabbed a seat over at the bar. A short, fat barman headed over with a smile and pushed over a synthabeer to Nichole.

"Tough day babe" he asked. Nichole looked up taking a swig and smiled.

"Same shit different day Stevie."

"SSDD Nic!" The short man laughed and walked off to serve the next customer.

She looked up at the tv, there was the build up to this evenings lottery on, the crowds slowly building as a mix of excitement and desperation built. Like everyone else in the bar Nichole knew she had about as much chance of getting called up as she did of stumbling upon a piece of fruit - and that was practically impossible these days!

"God your a sight for sore eyes" someone said behind Nichole. She turned round and smiled at John as he picked up his beer and took a swig.

"There was me thinking you were talking to me...." she smiled as John grinned.

"Well, I might have but then" he waved the bottle and laughed. Nichole punched him hard on the shoulder.

The lottery started a while later, the bar now packed as the first pot was called up. In this type of bar the first 5 pots were of no interest, they contained people that wouldn't be seen dead in a place like this.

It wasn't until pot 6 that people really started getting interested, and to most people surprise a man yelled out as his name was called. There was a smattering of applause for the bloke, most people muttering the same thing as he ran out the door, "fucking lucky sod!"

Nicole turned round and grabbed John by the arm "Its pot 11, thats us!" she said but John was looking up at the screen in shock. There, first out the hat was his name and ID.

"Oh my god" Nichole said turning to John, her expression a mix of happiness and sadness as he looked at her in disbelief.

"C-c-congrats John, we always knew this could happen...." she said a tear falling down her cheek. She and John had been a sort of item for months now, two likeminded people who enjoyed each others company, and more importantly had great sex.

John looked up again as the draw for pot 11 came to an end still shocked, but his expression broke from horror to delight as he grabbed Nichole and hugged her, laughing at the screen.

"Its not funny John, its really not...." she started crying.

"It is from here, look!" he shouted and pointed up at the screen. Nichole looked up at the screen and failed to register at first what John had seen. There, third from bottom she could see her name and as she turned to John he screamed out loud and picked her up, spinning her round and round as he yelled in the bar.

"We did it Nic, on the same fucking lottery as well!" he yelled.

Nichole was crying in joy as Stevie came over and chucked up two beers on the counter. "On the house guys, i'll miss you two but I'm happy for ya!" he said smiling and walking off.

John kissed Nichole taking her by surprise, they almost never showed any true display of public affection. Their relationship usually happened behind closed doors, not that Nichole was complaining.

"Come on, let go back to mine. I've got a bottle of whisksynth that needs drinking before we leave!" he said and downing the last of his beer the two rushed out the bar, the lottery still being drawn behind them as the pots continued roll on.

The two lovers barged through the door clawing at each others clothes as they fell onto the bed in the same room. She gasped as she felt her shirt ripped open as John moulder her breasts with his huge hands. Nicole was frantically clawing at his belt buckle trying to free his manhood that was bursting to escape.

Nichole moaned in delight as she felt the tip of John's cock press against her sex, his thick manhood easily sliding deep into her excited pussy. The two paused for a moment as they starred at each other savouring the moment before Nicole wrapped her legs around him and slightly pulled off his cock before thrusting back down, moaning in pleasure.

Smiling to her self she wondered just what she had done to deserve this, and digging her fingers in to his back she groaned as the first signs of an orgasms rippled through her. When hit she screamed out in pleasure as John continued to slowly thrust in and out, smiling as he watched his lover in the midst of a powerful orgasm. As Nicole came down from her high she looked at him and smiled wickedly.

"Your turn big boy" she said as she dismounted his cock and fell to her knees. She greedily sucked the head of his cock into her mouth as John moaned in his own delight. This was going to be a long night he guessed.

The next morning Nichole had only just got home from John's when there was a knock at the door. Standing outside was an official looking man with an armed police man behind him.

"Umm, can I help?" she said nervously looking at the police man.

"Don't mind officer Danes here, he's here to protect me not because your in trouble. Nichole Smith yes? identification number 47634C-AT869?" the man said smiling.

Nichole nodded gingerly as he man took out a holopad and held it out to her. "This is your departure schedule, you've been assigned to pod LV-426. You need to make yourself familiar with the content of this pod as you'll be the lead engineer for your division." the man said bluntly as Nichole took the pad of him.

"Ummm, ok. When does it, I mean when are we.... you know, shipping out?" she said.

"Flight prep starts tomorrow at 08:00. If the weather for orbital travel is fine you'll be in stasis in 48 hours on your way to Lantea on the Voyager 13." he said smiling.

"Lantea....." Nichole said smiling. "I can live with that!" she smiled. The man thanked her and rushed off, his list of people to see over the next 12 hours was formidable.

Nichole spent the rest of the day studying the pads contents, reading up on the safety pod and its systems. She heard from John that he'd been given spot in pod CB01-18, an explorer position meaning he'd be sent out into the filed as soon as they landed to aid in the exploration of the area's around the new city.

"Want to come round tonight?" he said softly. "Its our last chance in 30 odd years!" he joked.

Nichole laughed "I can't John, I've got so much reading to do. I guess you'll just have to wait now won't you." she giggled.

"Meany! Keep a bed warm for me, I'll see you on Lantea!" he said hanging up. The next morning Nichole was up early, taking her last shower in the dump of an apartment before packing up the tiny bag of things they were allowed to take on the arc. Unlike most people who took photo's of family and other sentimental things Nichole was far more practical. Her micro tool kit went into the bag, followed by a small pocket knife and a digital monocular.

As she opened the door and looked round she smiled a the empty flat. "Bye flat, I won't lie and say I'll miss you!" she joked.

Training was fairly gruelling, the mechanics all being given crash courses in the basic systems and there repairs. The pods had all be designed to be taken apart afterwards to give vital building materials and they spend an age going over the key parts of that as well, as each engineer would be responsible for the dismantlement of their pod once on the surface.

It was gone lunch before she joined up with her pod for basic survival training.

"Why the fuck do we need this?" a man said from behind Nichole, who was trying to listen to the marine allocated to their pod.

"Because the first set of survivors that landed on Lantea were scattered over 10,000 square miles of jungle dick head. We may well have a bit of a hike to get to a warm bed so everyone now has to take mandatory survival training" the marine spat at the man.

After 5 hours of grilling Sargent Tim Edwards was still less than satisfied with his crew, but none the less time was up and as they filled off into the stasis prep room Nichole looked over at the lines of pods walking in there groups hoping to catch one last glimpse of John.

"Come on spanner" the marine said. He found Nichole almost immediately, along with the medic and navigator and nicknamed them all, Nichole less than pleased with her name spanner.

"Righto sarg" she said glumly as she headed inside to a bright white room, the rest of the 20 strong pod already sat waiting. After a few moments a screen lit up and a man appeared to talk them through the stasis suit and the workings of the pods.

As they were ordered to get changed all in the same room Nichole saw one major benefit to the process as despite the fact she was naked with 19 other strangers. A wall withdrew to reveal 20 shower heads, and for the first time in her life Nichole felt fresh, warm water rushing down onto her skin as she washed. Looking down she couldn't believe the dirt falling from her, despite the daily showers she took.

"Its all good!" she muttered to herself knowing that once on Lantea fresh water and warm showers would be a daily thing. The suites themselves were fairly revealing, as they had to be skin tight to offset the high g's their bodies would go through as they were in stasis. Helping the person next to each other the room was soon filled with grunts as the various straps were pulled up tight on the suites.

Finally ready they headed through into the transport pod and saw their homes for the next 30 years, the stasis pods all glistening and ready. One by one the pods were filled, Nichole was third to last leaving the marine and medic to finish up.

"see you in 30 spanna'

"Its Nichole Sarg. See you in 30."

"Tim, its Tim" he said before pushing the door closed. The stasis fluids started filling the compartments and Nichole breathed in deep as the drugs took effect, pushing the young woman into unconsciousness before she was submerged in the gloop.