All characters and the story are my own. The story is based off a comic I saw on Instagram, where the little black and little white crewmate were friends and were playing together in the Skeld, but one of their parents was the imposter and killed the other parent. The Imposter then came and took their kid away from the other kid. I don't remember if that was the ending or if there was more after that (like if the other little crewmate found their parent dead or not).

Thank you to my friend for helping me figure out a better name for the University.

Please do not copy the following story or characters in any way. Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy!

Prologue

Three groups existed in the Utopian Search: the Astronauts, the Analysts, and the Scientists. Each group member was chosen by the criteria they met on the final exam administered by the Aeronautical Metropolitan Operation of Noble Beings Group.

The A.M.O.N.G. University of the Utopian Search effort was not only the top school because of its mission, but also because it was one of the only schools that still existed. Education had almost completely disappeared as the world was corrupted from the inside out; wickedness spread like wildfire and the earth paid the price. Corrupt politicians ruled the earth; financial crises became a common trend; "criminal" became the most popular occupation. As authorities fought for justice, the people in charge cut them off and squandered the federal budget. Pollution led to radiation, sullying the air, and killing everything that grew out of the ground. The world was nothing but desert now, an arid wasteland of stone. Great cities lie in ruins; houses lay vacant and shops stayed closed. In an attempt to save the human race, the government announced the U.S. effort, a hundred-year plan to relocate the earth's citizens to a new, habitable planet. In the year 2304, the grand opening of A.M.O.N.G. University was announced, and the first astronauts were sent into space. All power was directed to the University, the governing authority of the desolate earth.

The A.M.O.N.G. University had courses of all sorts; Repairs were for those with keen eyes and swift reflexes, and was not for the faint of heart; Operations for the left-brained, those who'd rather do math than hands-on things; Engineers to ensure everything functioned properly; and Communications for those who enjoy the feeling of being in charge, but don't have any real power. Like the tests administered by NASA hundreds of years ago, the University's final exam decided what one could or couldn't do. Based on these criteria was one assigned a mission specific to them. Only forty-two people were chosen, the best of the best: twenty-one males and twenty-one females, seven males and seven females to a group. Men and women were then paired together within their group, forced to reproduce and train up the next generation. The women were tested for fertility, as well as the men: a factor that their qualification hinged upon. The children would go home at the age of twelve, or choose to stay in a parent's place; either way, seven people (that is, seven from each group) went home every thirteen years to pursue what is considered a normal life in these dark times.

The Astronauts, which were the elite of the mission, were sent to the Skeld to search for a new home. The Analysts were less known, sent to MIRA HQ in the sky to monitor the ever-declining air quality of the earth's atmosphere and nurture what remained of Earth's vegetation. The third and final group, the Scientists, were not nearly as popular nor as content. Sent to what was once Europe, their base sat atop the snowy Himalayan Mountains. The Scientists froze at the Polus as they monitored the mounting radioactivity in the earth. The soil quality was dropping; the radioactivity wouldn't stop spreading, but they tried to stop it anyway. With the most tasks and the worst conditions, the Scientists worked the hardest. Yet it was the Astronauts that got the applause.

Despite the tragedy of these dark times, people are still human. And with that humanity comes an adventure at every turn, heartbreak at every corner… and the certainty of love. The engine hummed in the distance, vibrations reverberating through the floors of the Skeld. Two small children played on the floor, their joyous laughter bouncing off the walls. Their hands met in a handshake known only to them, one of many secrets the two shared. It had been months since they had left their homes; months since they had left all that was familiar to them. Their parents were strong and able, knowledgeable, and capable of much; it's why they had been chosen for this assignment. The world had begun to fall apart, and it was up to them to find a suitable planet to inhabit.

Stars winked at them through the windows, breaking up the dark void surrounding them. As the lights flickered in the small, dark room, a sort of calm swept over the little crewmates. Lying down beside each other, their little voices reverberated off the walls. The small boy yelped as his friend jumped on him. Tickling his armpits and neck, she laughed evilly as he broke out into a fit of giggles. Shaking uncontrollably, he curled into a ball as his sides began to ache. Tears flowed from his eyes as his friend sentenced him to unrelenting tickling. His black hair fell into his eyes as he tried to shield himself from her sticky fingers.

"Stop, Yuki!" he gasped, laughter making his words choppy. Seeing he'd had enough, Yuki obliged. The little boy gasped for air, catching his breath.

"You okay, Jesse?" His ice blue eyes met her gray ones; his eyes shone with the childish smile he gave her.

"Yeah," he breathed out. His grin grew wider, eliciting a giggle from his companion. Yuki laid on the cold floor.

"Jesse, what do we do now? I mean… we're never going home… are we?" Her question was more like a statement, but he answered anyway.

"I… I don't know." Jesses laid down next to her.

"Do you think we're ever going to see the trees again?" Jesse knew that they must have been beautiful where she was from. Japan had been one of the last countries to be affected, but it had been affected all the same.

"I know it." He said it purely to make her feel better, but seeing her smile was worth it.

"Then, I guess we'll have to cheer them on!" By "them", she meant their parents. In nothing short of a miracle, both sets of parents had gotten to go on the Skeld together.

"Yuki, it's time to go." Yuki groaned as her mother shook her awake.

"Wha?"

"Come on, honey. We need to leave." Yuki rubbed her eyes. Getting to her feet, she noticed that Jesse had woken up. He looked at her through sleepy lids. half of his round face red from laying on the floor.

"What's going on? Yuki?"

"Say goodbye to your friend, Yuki." Yuki looked up at her mother. Something was off, but she was too tired to notice or care.

"Goodbye, Jesse." She gave him a hug.

"Goodbye, Yuki." He returned the gesture in kind.

"See you tomorrow," she smiled sleepily. Grabbing her mother's hand, she followed her to the communications room.

Jesse made his way to Admin to check in for the night. A foul smell filled his nostrils as he entered, making him gag. He stepped inside and looked around, covering his nose. He went over to the table in the middle. Swiping his card, a projection shot out of the system.

Jesse Miller

Born August 24, 2293

Gender: Male

6 yr. old

Height: 119 cm

Weight: 20.4 kg

HC: Black

EC: Blue

He put his card back in his pocket. He turned to leave as the projection seemed to be sucked back into the machine. A light flickered near the oxygen combination pad. A body lay crumpled in a growing pool of blood, silent and unmoving. Eyes wide, Jesse made his way over. Shaking, he grabbed the man's wrist.

"D-Dad?" No response. Jesse shook him. "Dad!" He shook him harder, screaming for his father. "Dad, please! DAD!" Several astronauts came in, their clamor halted as they saw what lay before them. A couple astronauts came near to take the boy from him, but he wouldn't move. He threw himself over his father's body. "NO! He's gotta be okay! You've gotta fix him!"

Tears streamed from his eyes. His vision clouded as concerned adults tried to take him from his father. He clung tighter, burying his face in the man's black suit. The fabric wet with his tears, he jumped when he tasted blood. It had soaked through the fabric, making its way to where he had been. Shaking and eyes wide, he didn't fight when the astronaut wearing yellow helped him up.

He watched as they checked his father's vitals. As one shook their head, tears welled up again. He buried his face in yellow's suit, the woman holding him tightly. Her husband, a harsh man with brown hair, came up to them. An unnatural softness filled his eyes as he held them both. It would be less than an hour later when they would report another body in the security room, black suit pierced right above her heart.

The doctor shook his head as he examined the bodies: both were dead. Whoever killed them had escaped in one of the escape pods. He met the young boy outside. Sitting beside him, he wasn't sure what to say to make the situation better.

"I'm sorry." Jesse didn't say anything.

"Do you know where Yuki went?" The man raised an eyebrow.

"Her mother went to get her." Jesse blinked.

"There was blood on her boot."