A/N, this introduction will be as long as the first chapter is. Bear with me, as this story is very complicated, and deserves an explanation, along with some warnings. Children of the Sun is a dive into madness, as our main OC character Michael is in a rather rough spot in his life, and the first chapter is somewhat depressing. While it starts there, it doesn't stay there, although there are many ups and downs in this tale.

This represents my first shot at Science Fiction, but don't expect pew-pew-pew laser battles and weird aliens. This is about Utopia, and all the pitfalls that Utopias bring, they are notoriously hard to manage.

This story is also another attempt of mine at the 'Fractured Romance'. Anna enters Michael's life in a strange way, and their relationship is even stranger.

There's an old saying in the stage community that goes like this; "If there is a gun on mantle in the first act, by the third, it must go off." And that's true in this story. I love setups, and there are setups for stuff I haven't even written yet. Not everything said here is the truth, and people say things that are wrong. It's kinda' like the internet.

Now for the warnings. There are trigger events galore in this tome, even Michael gets triggered, and at some point I may have to go to an 'M' rating. This is the kiss of death here on this site, so I've tried to write this without being too sexually graphic, and it kinda' cheapens the tale anyhow. That said, there is sex, sexual violence, torture, severe bodily trauma, depression, attempted murder, awkward cultural moments, religion, politics, words of curse, and any number of things that could make you feel queasy. Some of my favorite stories here on FF do just that, and that's why I read them. This is supposed to be art. It's supposed to affect you emotionally, you should cry, be offended, happy when things go well, and sad when they don't. There are plenty of feel good stories here on FF, and I enjoy a good Kristanna one shot fluffer as much as anyone else. Hell, I even wrote one.

I really didn't think I'd have another one of these drawn out tales in me. Then the idea came and the words pored forth. Twenty eight chapters in three weeks, ya, I don't have a life right now. I know many of you are very busy, with school, writing, and life. Usually several things at a time.

I have to send a shoutout to my inspiration Hatesolstice, I never thought I'd do a modern AU, and now I'm on the second one. This is a far bigger tale than my Angels Awaken saga, and those twenty eight chapters only represent part one. Then my plan is to go to a weekly 'drabble' format in part two, so it'll be like a TV show, with daily life situations, criminal mysteries, etc. My apologies in advance to the LGBTQ community, as due to the nature of the story, ya' kinda' got left out. I do have a plan to be inclusive in part two, if I think I can make it work.

Now that I've bored you to death, our story starts out with the first four chapters, as it's kinda' dry, but I need to set the Michael character up, and get you up to speed on the Utopia setting, then it's all Anna for the most part from here on out. This is once again a POV story from Michael's side. As an old guy, I find I can relate to the male experience better, but part two will have some stuff from Anna's perspective, as she grows and becomes more independent.

OK, wake up! It's time to start the epic journey across the galaxy, with the Children of the Sun...

It was another Monday, grey and drizzly. It felt like that every day. The sun would give no comfort. Wake up, watch the same crap on TV about some great bargain that was going to change my life and finally bring me happiness. I wanted to throw that damned-able box out the window. I choked down some breakfast, it brought no joy. It's the same crap I've been eating for years.

By the time showering and shaving are over, exhaustion has set it. Throw on some crappy clothes for an even crappier job. I walk out to the car, toss myself into the seat, put the key in the ignition and just stare at it for a minute. Once I've turned it, there's no going back. I can barely summon the strength to face another day. Rinse and repeat, over and over, how long can I keep doing this?

If I step off the Merry-Go-Round, the party's over. So I'll keep up this menagerie for as long as I can, it's all I know.

I'm a welder by trade. It was a choice I made when I was too young to make such decisions. But it's too late, I feel I've missed out on what should have been. Sometimes we miss our calling in life. Not everyone gets to live out the fairy tale, and my chances of hitting the lottery are thin, or so I thought.

The thirty minute ride to work left me with time to think, and to pray to what ever deity who would happen to listen to come down here and fix this shit show.

Humans weren't capable of it, we're too far down the rabbit hole. If all this misery is to end, we're gonna' need some help, and I didn't care who did it. I didn't believe in one religious sect, to me it seemed unfair that only one group was right, and everybody else on the planet was doomed to a fiery eternity, what deity would do that?

The sun had poked out tiny fingers of light by the time I got to work, which was late, apparently I stared at that key too long today. Very little light made it into the shop anyway. It was dingy, and gritty, and stunk to high heaven. I once dreamed of welding in space, on some big space station. Ya know, like in the movies. The ones we were supposed to have right now. Just floating weightless, and pain free. It would certainly be a lot cleaner. And you ain't seen a good weld unless it's been done in a vacuum, those things are perfect.

I was building the frame for a machine that would make concrete blocks. It wasn't glamorous, but I was making something. That's a small step up from the worker bees buzzing around in some fast food joint, but it brings little comfort, my name wouln't be on some marque, there'll be no awards given out for the stack of dimes I'm layin' down today...

Just then the lights went out. No electricity means no work for me. Time to head outside for a smoke. I was staring down at the ground sitting on an old reel that had at one time held wire. Surrounded by broken bits of machines that had gone beyond their useful lives, I certainly was in equal company, I felt the same as these castaway relics of better times.

As I lit up, I could feel the cough coming, I hadn't been able to shake it for a few months, and I was debating going to the doctor. That is usually an exercise in futility, they're just there to collect your money, then go golfing on Wednesdays.

Just as I was finishing my break a large shadow past over the ground and blocked the sun.

That didn't make any sense, there wouldn't be a solar eclipse here for another fifty years. Then I seen it, it was gigantic. It had to be twenty miles long. The ship looked like a giant Hot Pocket, so that was the cigar shape that had been bandied about in UFO circles for so long.

"It's about time you assholes showed up!" I screamed to the heavens. I had no fear, what could they do?

"Go ahead and blow it all straight to hell!"

Then I seen a few tiny tendrils coming down from the underbelly. One of them came straight for me. "Come on, you sonsa' bitches!, I'm ready!" And then I was swallowed up, never to be seen on Earth again.