Title- Earth-That-Was

By- Claire C. Griffon

Discalimer- I'm only gonna say this once, so let me make this abundantly clear- I own nothing. Joss, Fox, Universal and all subsidaries own all. Probably should add the Alliance and the Blue Sun too. Who knows how long their reach is?

Author's notes- In the movie SERENITY, it was said that all who could leae Earth, did. Does that mean that some are still there? I decided to write a story about the lives of the people that are still there. Eventually, it will be divided into parts and parts into chapters, with each part representing a generation. I hope you enjoy. For my purposes here, I'm saying that it tok 50 years to reach the new galaxy and ten to terraform the Core planets. It took another ten after that to terraform al the border planets.

Prologue

Zira stared at the remaining ship left on the ground of Earth. The crews and passengers were loading up remaining supplies on the huge transport ship that would be needed on the years long journey to another galaxy that would someday hold Earths all over the place.

Longingly, she started after the people as they entered onto the ship for the last time. She was small enough at age seven that most confused her for a four year old. She could've run forward and climbed down the cliff to hide on the ship and leave Earth behind. The whole place was a dead planet, every inhabitant knew that. Resources were near depleated, burned out building were scattered about the surface as were different modes of transportation. Some of the richer people had gotten together and decided that they would be better off if people would leave and find some new homes. So they funded a launch of a bunch of probes to be sent off in all directions. It took a decade for any information to come back to Earth, but the time hadn't been wasted. Ships big enough to carry thousands of people on one deck, each with a three deck minimum had been built. New technologies had been developed that gradually changed the atmosphere of any planet into that which matched Earth's. It would take a few years to do so, but once the "terraforming", as the rich called it, was done, each plaet out there would have breathable air and be, in a way, another Earth.

Now though, there was only one ship out of the seven left on Earth, and it would soon be gone as well, leaving those too poor to afford the passage all alone on the used up planet. It would be so easy to sneak on board, hide for a bit while scrounging for food, until she was old enough to look like she belonged. The only thing that kept her feet planted firmly on the ground was the thought of what her parent would go through if she suddenly left.

So, rather than run towards the Mayflower as the cargo bays began to close and jump inside, she stood stock still and watched as the metallic ship lifted into the air, fire its thrusters and soar away, never to come back. Still watching the silver speck in the sky, she whispered out, "Earth's a dead planet, and we're all that's left."

There was a yell of "ZIRA!" from behind her. She reconized it as her mother's voice calling for her to come back to the burnout that served as their home for the time being. Sighing, she turned and walked down from the cliff she had been standing on over the small pebbles and dirt - for that was all that was left of the greenery, unless you counted the greenhouses the rich had owned that wer scattered here and ther about the planet. They were hard to get to though. The houses could take care of themselves until there were enough trees and grasses to cover the whole world again. ONly then would there be some way that things might start getting back to the way thing were before the Sino-Anglo alliance and the developemnt of major industries.

As Zira entered into her home, she noticed that everything had been packed into small bags. "are we movin' on again?" she asked.

"Yes, Zira, we are," he dad explained. "Burnouts aren't safe anymore. Most of us are headin' over to the caves. Grab your stuff and lets go."

She nodded and grabbed the two bags that held everything she owned. So they were on the move again. Oh well. It's not like we ever stay in one place long enough for me to call it home... she thought. Glancing down at the bags in her hands, she decided that she would rewrite the name 'Sera" on them first chance she got. That way, no one could ever take them from her.

A child of about ten stood at the window of the Mayflower, watching the small girl who was watching them with a forelorn look on her face. Even though he didn't know her, he wished he could take her along with them. It felt wrong to leave people behind just because they couldn't pay the passage. But it wasn't his choice to make. If his family had been able to, he would've paid for her himself. As luck would have it though, they couldn't. It had been hard enough to scrape together the money for the three in their family; their lifesavings spent on three tickets to only God knew where.

He turned his back to the window and walked though his room once more. It was small and sparse, a bed and a screen to watch shows on and a deck, but that was about it. It didn't help matters that everything was either white or metal and as brightly lit as a hispital. He hoped they at least would dim the lights a little when it was time to sleep.

A knock on his door turned his thoughts away from such things. Opening it up, he saw his parents standing outside in the small hallway that would lead to their room as well. They handed him a small card with a hole though the top that he could put a string if he so wished. "You need to keep this on you at all times. Otherwise, the crew won't know we paid for your voyage and you'll be cast into space."

"Yes mother," he said, taking his ticket.

"Good. Feel free to wander a bit. There's quite a lot to do. Your father and I will be in our room unpacking f you need us."

"Yes mother," he said again then watched as they departed to their room. Returning to the window, he saw that the girl was still standing there even as the ship flew away from the ground at an alarming rate. He closed the shade on his window and sat down on the bed to look at the ticket. The picture was dead on accurate. His messy brown hair fell into his green eyes as he wore a blur shirt. The symbol of the Sino-Anglo Alliance was inserted over it as a holographic image. His eyes turned to the rest of the information. Birthdate, country of origin, parents, it was all there, including his name: Evan Renyolds. He placed the card in the back pocket of his pants and exited his room. Catching a view of Earth through another window, he turned his head away. "Earth's a dead planet, and we're all that's left."