Author's Notes: Lately I've been playing a lot of Starbound. It's one of those games that really makes me think about the world building, so once again I'm going to get a little experimental and write something for this franchise. This story isn't so much one tale but rather four different stories told within the same universe through the journal entries of four different protagonists. I know I should do stories for all seven of the main species, but I feared that would make things feel too unfocused, so instead I'm just picking four to give different perspectives on how each would pick up the pieces after the destruction of earth. I hope those who read this story enjoy it, and thank you for checking it out :)
Chapter 1
Farewell To Earth
Farina
No! No! No! No! NO! NONONONONONO! I could fill a notebook with this word and it would still be insufficient for the bleeding rupture in my heart. My entire life's work has been ruined, and even at that I feel spoiled and petty for so much as thinking of the rubble my budding empire lies in.
I have seen destruction before. I have seen despair. I know what evil can do to the universe, and yet...I never thought it could happen here. Earth is a core world, the very cradle of the human species. I can't help but feel attached to humans, at least on a conceptual level. They look very similar to how we Apex looked before our scientists tampered with our DNA to increase our intellect. Honestly I'm not even sure it worked, because for all of our accomplishments I still consider my people to be rather idiotic.
So many memories returned to my mind as I watched that giant tentacled...thing ravage the earth in the same manner as the Miniknog rips through dissidents. I have made a life and reputation for myself here. I am respected in the business community, and I was saving up to purchase an office building for my pixel printing company, and yet as I beheld the savagery from the comfort of my spaceship I felt just like a little girl again, and not in a good way.
I remembered being 10 years old, hiding in the basement with my family as the Ministry of Knowledge ransacked our home in search of us, as well as incriminating evidence of wrongdoing against my parents. My mother and father were not rebels, not really, they just weren't willing to offer slavish devotion to Big Ape. Respect certainly, deference of course, but not devotion. Apparently that wasn't enough.
I remember being dragged from that basement, never to see my family again, and the grueling months that followed. The orphan care system, the new families, and eventually being placed in a small government-issued apartment building when I aged out of the system. I always knew they were watching me. Even now I'm terrified of plushies for fear their eyes might actually be cameras.
I had put it all behind me. I have spent years forgetting the horrors of the Miniknog. I ran away and moved to earth to get away from the fear and paranoia. Is nowhere safe? If a core world can be destroyed by an unknown force, and if humans can be made into an endangered species with all of their progress and intellect, then what hope is there for any of us? Humans are the most tolerant and proactive species I know of, and yet they were unprepared for something like this. It's pure madness.
I spent years working toward building my startup pixel printing company. I was there! So close! I had signed a lease and purchased an office building to house new employees. It would have been a full-fledged community, complete with offices, small apartments, and even a self-sustaining food production system. It was perfect, and now it's gone. I spent the majority of my money, and now I have nothing left but my ship. What am I to do with myself?
Cuantam
(Record)
Frag it! I can't stop this fragging ship! Seriously, now I know why no one else ran to this thing during the exodus. It's a piece of junk!
I hope some other people made it out of there. I waited as long as I could, but nobody came to me. What the frag was that thing? It looked like legends of The Ruin, but those ain't real. Frag, I need a drink. Or several. Maybe some cyanider. I dunno.
I can't believe this happened on graduation day. I expected to write in my log about how 'Graduation was the best day ever!' and 'I'm gonna work for The Protectorate! Yippee!'. Pah! What a load. I shoulda just stayed in the village and stabbed things with Pat and Glib. They ain't much, but they're company.
Poor Cindy. I watched one of those horrible tentacles grab her and drag her down into the abyss. There's no way she's coming back from that. She was so bubbly and nice. We weren't friends exactly, but she was pretty okay for a human.
Times like this I wish I really could fly like the ancient Avian legends talk about. I'm a fragging bird that can't fragging fly. What good am I in a situation like this? It's bad enough not relating to other Avians, but figuring out my entire species is useless is kind of a bummer.
I hope Billy made it out safely. That poor guy is simple even by Nova Kid standards. He's my best friend, and if he dies...
You know what? Diaries are for chumps. I gotta figure out how to stop this ship before it careens into something dangerous. Later, losers.
Shing
Blood Month, Day 70
Floran picked a bad time to come to earth. Floran's ship damaged in struggle against weird octopus monster. Floran hit the gas and manage to rip tentacle away. Hate fleeing like a coward, but Floran didn't get to be this old by fighting a losing battle.
Time to count loot...
1 Avian headdress
3 coffee seeds
1 shield
2 capture pods
1 matter manipulator
1 acoustic guitar
1 tame scorpion
1000 erchius fuel
1 broken broadsword
Floran will use the matter manipulator and fuel, but everything else is for sale. Maybe Floran will post ad on galactic web, or maybe Floran will just trade at outpost or something. Then again, maybe Floran would look good wearing feather headdress. Floran always open to try new things.
Oof! Looking down at earth is kinda scary. Eh, humans good strong meats. They will survive and make more humans, given enough time. It not Floran's concern. It kind of bad Floran's new rental property was eaten by octopus monster, but these things happen.
For now, Floran have to get back to pirating and being landlord for various planets around the galaxy. Everything currently on nice gentle stars. Maybe Floran buy a riskier property next time...as soon as Floran steals enough loot to sell for more pixels. Maybe if Floran finds peaceful village Floran can steal everything not glued down. Haha!
For now though, Floran needs crew. Floran's brother Sha lives on desert planet. Maybe Floran can dock ship there and look for him. Maybe also show him video of earth getting eaten by giant octopus. He won't believe it!
Billy
(Record)
I can't remember what happened. I listened to the diary, but there ain't nuthin' here. I remember I was graduatin' from The Protectorate Academy, and next thing I know I'm back on my ship with my pet snugget peepin' down at me like I ain't got no sense. Poor Starbit. He's an old soul, and prob'ly don't like how fast this here ship is goin'. Frankly, I don't like it either. Maybe I should stop talkin' to my journal and try to fix it. Hold on...
...Okay, we stopped. What was I sayin' again? Oh yeah, I forgot how I got here. It's my home village all over again. I can't remember when I left there, or where it was, but I can kinda remember what it looked like. Garbage everywhere, intense cold, and lotsa Nova Kids just like me. Hoowee! Them was the good old days! Uh, where was I goin' with this?
Uh oh...I just realized somethin'. There ain't no fridge on this ship! How could I forget somethin' so important!? There's no food. I'm gonna starve! Oh, Starbit! I'm so sorry! We ain't got no food!
Don't look at me like that. Where am I supposed to get food? Hm...maybe I could check the navigator on this here ship and find a planet to harvest some food from. Yeah, that'll do the trick. Hold on there, boy. We're gonna get somethin' to eat. Let's see...hey. What a minute. The navigator is broke. Darn. Now what?
Okay...think Billy, think! We got a ship with no navigator. We're out in space with no food. We was on earth, and now we're not. There ain't nobody on this ship except me and Starbit. Hm...I wonder if I passed my classes. If I passed then that means I'm a member of The Protectorate and have a job to defend the galaxies. If I flunked, then I'm a big ball of burnin' gas tryin' to figure out how to not starve.
Hey! There's a planet in the window! Oh, uh, Cuantum said that wasn't called a window. What's it called again? A virtual viewport. Yeah, that was it. Now, is that planet earth? Let's see...
Nope. Ain't never seen that, I don't think. Okay, new planet. Lotsa green stuff. Probably some plants to eat, maybe even some monsters to kill for meat. Good. We ain't gonna starve. Starbit, could you turn off my journal? I gotta beam down to the planet to find some food...and maybe buy a fridge.