Prologue

Date:March 24th 2060

Planet:Earth

Country:United States of America

Dale looked back and forth between the two tall men with badges and his mother. He had been dropped off from the school. When he got into the living room his mom was talking to two men in suits. He smiled and waved to the new comers but they didn't smile back. They didn't frown, in fact Dale found it weird that they didn't seem to have any emotion at all. His mother told him to go into his room and not come out until she said.

He found that weird. Usually his mother was always smiling when he got home. His bus almost always arrived before his sisters and his brother stayed after school, and his other brother was in their local middle school's soccer team. And his mom very rarely told him to go to his room. Even less when Dale hadn't done anything. And when she did, her and dad were usually having an adult conversation. Weather it be money or family issues.

This was different. This felt different. The six year old leaned his head against the door and listened the best he could to the conversation unfolding on the other side of his door. He caught snippets of the conversation. "Biotics were known for being insane without careful oversight." Dale didn't completely understand what the man with a smooth and professional voice was saying. He knew what insane meant but what were biotics? And oversight?

His mother said something in reply to the man but Dale couldn't understand it. He heard the other man reply about something that sounded like biotic extremist groups. He had no clue what that meant. But he had a feeling that they were talking about him. Why would they be talking about him? And what was a biotic! About halfway through the conversation his father came home. The other man with a suit -Dale could tell do to his rough, almost sick like voice- that Dale was special. He was special! Awesome!

He clearly heard the man with the smooth professional voice say "Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training." Dale didn't even try to decipher what that meant. His father's voice rose. It didn't sound like anger, more like disbelief. That was all Dale heard. Because then his Little sister and older brother walked through the door. He heard his mother tell them in a soft voice to come to his room.

They came through the door and looked at Dale. They were all confused. Why were those two men here and why was Dale special. Andrew ended the awkwardness by tossing a inflated beach ball towards Camille. Camille hit it and it bounced back to the ten year old. He grabbed it and tossed it to Dale. He tried to make it go back without touching it but he was rarely able to do that. Instead the ball just bounced and Dale kicked it and it flew back towards Andrew.

Then his mother came in. She looked like she was holding back tears.

"What's wrong mom?" Andrew asked.

"Its," She wiped her eyes, "come sit in the living room with us." She said. Dale and his siblings went into the family room. Camille and Andrew sat on a white sofa and Dale was about to sit down with them when his mother asked him to come sit with her and his father. His brother Felix had arrived from soccer practice and took a seat in a wooden chair. His mother stroke his hair while his father put on a forced smile an asked Dale how he was doing.

"What is with all the sadness?" Felix, Dale's oldest brother asked. Their mother tried to speak but couldn't.

"Dale-Dale I need to talk with you for a minuet." His father said. Dale looked at his father. He then stood up and faced his dad. His father placed his hands on his shoulders and smiled.

"What is it?" Dale asked, he was getting tired of not knowing anything.

"When your mother was pregnant she was on a research mission on the moon. A ship suffered a malfunction and the only way to save the ship in the hangar was to leak something that is called element zero. You've heard of it."

"Yeah," Dale said, "it helps power spaceships right?"

"Yes." His father said. "When they leaked the Element Zero your mother was exposed. We were worried that you would be born with cancer, like some children exposed to element zero before they are born. But instead you gained an advantage."

"That I can move things sometimes?" Dale asked taking a guess. His father smiled and nodded.

"Yes its called Biotics." His father said and Dale mouthed "Oh" finally realizing what the people were talking about. "Those men are from the Systems Alliance. I use to be in the Alliance. But that is besides the point. You see you're a biotic. And the Alliance would like to use you to advance Human biotics." His father paused and took his arms of Dale's soldiers.

"Okay." Dale mumbled.

"The thing is," his father started before he paused and shook his head, "it would require you to leave us. Also they could help you. You see some biotics have the issue of not being mentally stable. This could help you avoid that." His father said, Dale could see sadness in his father's eyes as well.

"Dale can't leave and become a science experiment!" His older brother Felix shouted.

"In the end I don't think him staying is an option." His father replied in an emotionless tone.

"Why not!" His older brother yelled. "They can't just kidnap him!"

"It is not easy to explain Felix." His mother muttered in a soft voice. "It might be best for Dale if he goes." She wiped her eyes again. Andrew just looked back and forth not being able to figure out anything to say.

"Where would I go?" Dale asked.

"We don't know. We don't know." His mother replied shaking her head. "Maybe somewhere here on earth. Maybe space."

"I-" Dale paused. He didn't want to leave his family but he always liked to help. And didn't his father always teach him to help everyone even Aliens if they needed it. And especially Humans. "Would I be by myself?" Dale asked.

"From what they told us, no. There should be other kids around your age there." His father replied.

"I guess I'll go then." Dale muttered softly. "When do I go to this biotic place?" Dale asked. His mother broke down and started crying into her hands. His father closed his eyes and took a breath.

"Right now." His father said. This stunned Dale. Right now! But- he didn't want to leave right now!

"Why now!" Dale demanded.

"Because- that's just how it is." His father muttered. Dale looked to his crying mother and then looked back at his father.

"How long will I be gone?" Dale asked. He father wiped his eyes and looked at his son and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"A long time, son, a long time." Dale didn't like how his father was talking in a low voice but he knew he had to go.

"NO! Big brother can't leave!" Camille said crying. She ran over and wrapped her arms around Dale's waist and squeezed as hard as she could. Dale tried to take a deep breath as Camille squeezed some of the air out of him. He tried to get her off but she held on too tight. Felix just shook his head while his father tried to calm her down. But she just continually violently shook her head and held onto Dale.

"Let go Camille I'll be fine." Dale said trying to get his sister who was a year younger than him to let go. She just shook her head and kept crying. "Camille I'm going, please stop." Dale muttered. Camille paused before sniffing and letting go of Dale. She then jumped onto the couch and buried her face into a pillow and continued crying.

"This is stupid!" Felix said anger clearly present in his voice. "He's my brother and your son! And your just sending him a way without a single damn thought!" Felix yelled at the top of his voice. Their mother took her hand away from her mouth and try to say something before she inhaled air and started crying again. She just shook her head. While Andrew sat there in silence.

"Come Dale, when need to get your stuff." His father said signaling for him to follow him into his room.

Fifteen minuets later Dale was in the backseat of a car with two men in government suits driving. Not really speaking. They had been in the driveway when Dale came out and got into their car. Dale tried to communicate with them but so far they had been mostly silent. So Dale started asking some questions.

"Where is this place?" Dale asked.

"A Space Station named Jump Zero." The man in a passenger seat replied, short and to the point.

"Oh." Dale said. "What's your name?"

"Richards," the man replied simply, he pointed his thumb to the driver, "he's Woodman."

"Nice to meet you." Dale said smiling and moving around in the back seat. He wished they would take a moller skycar instead of driving for two hours from Orlando to the Cape Canaveral Space port. The men just nodded and replied "hi" with almost no emotion in their voice.

"Will there be kids my age there?" Dale asked.

"Well actually I think you may be the youngest." The younger man with the smoother professional voice replied. "I think there is another child your age. Not sure though."

"Oh." Dale replied, saddened that he was going to be one of the younger ones. "How much longer till we get to the space ship?" Dale asked tired of being cooped up in the car.

"A little over an hour." The man replied. Dale sighed and stared out the window.

When they arrived at the Cape Canaveral Space Port -which was a few dozen miles south of the Kennedy Space Center- they got out and directed Dale at a line of kids sitting outside a cargo ship. He walked over and try to find anyone that looked his age. He was a little over average height for his age. He wasn't super tall but he was never called short. He hoped that maybe he could look older than he actually was.

He spotted a girl that looked about his height and age and walked over to her. She was Caucasian and had black hair that curved around her ears and was eating a lollipop.

"Hello." Dale said waving. She looked at him and didn't reply. Dale sat down by her and waited for her to reply. When she didn't Dale asked another question. "What is your name?" He asked.

"I want to go home." She replied tears rolling down her face. Dale didn't know how to really comfort her.

"Want to be friends?" He asked holding out his hand. The girl looked at him and shook it and put on a weak smile.

"My name is Douglas, Dale, Eisenhower. But everyone calls me Dale." Dale said smiling. "I'm from Orlando."

"My name is Christina, she said wiping her eyes, "but everyone calls me Christi." She licked her lollipop before continuing. "I'm from Corpus Christi in Texas." She replied.

"Hi Christi." Dale said. "Nice to meet you." Christi just nodded. A man came out and said that it was time to get on the ship. Tears started rolling down her cheeks so Dale decided to try something that he could never turn down and hoped it would work for her.

"I bet I am faster than you." Dale said in a mocking tone.

"No! I am!" She said in a proud voice.

"I'll race you to the ship." Dale said smiling. Christi replied with "your on!" Dale was planning on letting her win, but it turned out that he didn't need to. He put up a good fight but Christi still got there a good two seconds before him. She gloated as they got on the ship. Dale felt his foot touch the Earth for the last time in a long time.