Population: One, Me by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

The inward travelers

It was not a hard decision to make, the whole world saw the scientific evidence. Unlike those misguided threats of world destruction by bombs, pathogens or the other things that they were fixated on, this time they had the proof. The world was going to explode. I was the one that came up with the great plan.

For years it has been known that this galaxy has inhabitable worlds but ours is on the spiral edge. The inner portions are thriving with worlds and a lot have shown to be similar to ours. It was over two years to convince everyone that I was right. This was a need to survive. As the clock ticked down, we had people in orbit making the grand ship. It would be large enough for all to live aboard.

It would be, for all intents, a flat earth. No oceans but the water source is built as another floor. All recycling of water and waste is done on the floor above. Even those few who die in those years of traveling will be rendered to their base elements and help in the voyage.

All the while, I made sure that I was the leader in the movement. After all this is my forecast, my plan and my new world. By the time we reach that new world, I will have established my supreme rule over all. It will be my new world and my subjects.

When the final transport to the ship happened, there was only one error. The population clock showed one. Just like our world, it was defective. I declare that it is so, after all I was the last person to leave that doomed rock. I am the leader. I was the one that found out that this world was doomed. I am their captain.

It is clear, what I say, the world believes otherwise that population clock would not have been just one.

Everyone wept when I had the fading world displayed. To reassure all, I had an AI produced a fire ball pinpoint displayed when we left that solar system. I made the announcement that calculations were wrong about the time. Our world has been destroyed. There is no turning back.

One thing that the world didn’t know was that, to make this journey, we needed all those homeless, all those low life’s, all those expendables. The new earth may or may not be habitable. We can get more water from those worlds that have it but the soil needs fertilizer. Even as we start this quest, those have started to be rendered for future soil enrichment.

The mood here is wonderful. Everyone has settled in to the routine of keeping this world running efficiently. All must work. Those who don’t are weeded out. We cannot afford to support free loaders. All now know that you must work to eat. No stealing from others, no hoarding to feed them.

This is a utopia of my making. Live by a captains rules or feed the soil.

We have now been on our journey for three of our old worlds years. It is a comfortable system for us so why not. Our old world is now just rocks in orbit of the sun, People have settled into the routine. Our original goal is out of the question. Now we are close enough to see that whole solar system has died.

We have done a course correction. The next closest habitable world is now at least fifteen more years. We have a perfectly balanced eco system and it will sustain us for as long as we live. We have that ability to recycle everything and everybody.

Even if we need to travel for generations, everyone agrees that we must continue. Press on no matter how many generations pass. It is of the consensus that no matter how long, we will find our new home. On ward and inward